Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

देवानां परमो देवो यथा वै त्रिपुरांतकः । मंत्राणां परमो मंत्रस्तथा शैवः षडक्षरः

Transliteration

devānāṃ paramo devo yathā vai tripurāṃtakaḥ | maṃtrāṇāṃ paramo maṃtrastathā śaivaḥ ṣaḍakṣaraḥ

Translation

Sebagaimana Tripurāntaka (Śiva) ialah Dewa tertinggi dalam kalangan para dewa, demikianlah juga mantra Śaiva enam suku kata ialah mantra tertinggi antara segala mantra.

Word by Word

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• परमः: supreme
• परमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• देवः: god
• देवः: Karta/Predicate-noun (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (as/just as)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• त्रिपुरान्तकः: Tripurāntaka (Śiva, destroyer of Tripura)
• त्रिपुरान्तकः: Karta/Upamana (Subject of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिपुर + अन्तक (प्रातिपदिक); त्रिपुरान्तक (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (त्रिपुरस्य अन्तकः = destroyer of Tripura)

• मन्त्राणाम्: of mantras
• मन्त्राणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• परमः: supreme
• परमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• मन्त्रः: mantra
• मन्त्रः: Karta/Predicate-noun (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise; so
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तुल्यतार्थक-अव्यय (so; likewise)

• शैवः: Śaiva; of Śiva
• शैवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• षडक्षरः: the six-syllabled (mantra)
• षडक्षरः: Karta/Predicate-noun (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक); षडक्षर (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु/तत्पुरुषार्थ (षड्-अक्षराणि यस्य)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Symbolic pairing: Śiva as Tripurāntaka with bow (or fiery glance) destroying Tripura, juxtaposed with a radiant six-syllable mantra hovering like a weapon of sound.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Śiva (Tripurāntaka)
• Tripura
• Ṣaḍakṣara Mantra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supreme refuge is Śiva, and the most exalted means of approach is His ṣaḍakṣara mantra through japa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse establishes a doctrinal hierarchy (Śiva as supreme; ṣaḍakṣara as supreme mantra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit prescription: undertake japa of the Śaiva ṣaḍakṣara mantra as the foremost mantra-practice.