Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

सप्तमे चाष्टमे बाह्यं नृसिंहेन समन्वितम् । नवमे द्वितीयमेकं च दशमे चाष्टकूटकम्

Transliteration

saptame cāṣṭame bāhyaṃ nṛsiṃhena samanvitam | navame dvitīyamekaṃ ca daśame cāṣṭakūṭakam

Translation

सातव्या व आठव्या ठिकाणी बाह्य भाग नृसिंहासह संयुक्त करून वापरावा. नवव्यात फक्त दुसरे तत्त्व घ्यावे; आणि दहाव्यात अष्टकूटक आहे.

Word by Word

• सप्तमे: in the seventh
• सप्तमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (contextual) (Locative singular: 'in the seventh')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात) (Conjunction)

• अष्टमे: in the eighth
• अष्टमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular: 'in the eighth')

• बाह्यम्: external/outer
• बाह्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• नृसिंहेन: with/by Narasiṃha
• नृसिंहेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृसिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष: नृ + सिंह), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• समन्वितम्: endowed/combined
• समन्वितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अन्वि (धातु) → समन्वित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Past passive participle, Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• नवमे: in the ninth
• नवमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular: 'in the ninth')

• द्वितीयम्: the second
• द्वितीयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• एकम्: one/single
• एकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात) (Conjunction)

• दशमे: in the tenth
• दशमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular: 'in the tenth')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात) (Conjunction)

• अष्टकूटकम्: the eightfold ‘kūṭaka’/eight-knotted form
• अष्टकूटकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट + कूटक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगुसमास (अष्ट कूटकं यस्य/अष्टकूटकम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic dialogue context within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; exact speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual diagram (yantra-like grid) shows numbered aṅgas; at the 7th and 8th nodes a fierce Narasiṃha emblem appears as a guardian; the 10th node blossoms into an eight-petaled kūṭa wheel.

Characters & Entities

• Narasiṃha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic tradition frames spiritual efficacy as ordered practice—sequence, combination, and disciplined recitation rather than mere improvisation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya remains the narrative backdrop; the verse primarily teaches mantra-structure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Directions for using an outer portion, invoking Narasiṃha in combination, and applying an eightfold kūṭa arrangement.