Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

गकारं हृदये न्यस्य वकारः कण्ठ मध्यगः । तेकारं दक्षिणे हस्ते वाकारो वामहस्तगः

Transliteration

gakāraṃ hṛdaye nyasya vakāraḥ kaṇṭha madhyagaḥ | tekāraṃ dakṣiṇe haste vākāro vāmahastagaḥ

Translation

‘க’காரத்தை இதயத்தில் ந்யாசம் செய்ய வேண்டும்; ‘வ’காரம் தொண்டை நடுவில். ‘தே’காரம் வலது கையில், ‘வா’காரம் இடது கையில் நிறுவ வேண்டும்.

Word by Word

• गकारम्: the syllable ‘ga’
• गकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हृदये: in the heart
• हृदये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न्यस्य: having placed
• न्यस्य: Kriyavisheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √न्यस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having placed’

• वकारः: the syllable ‘va’
• वकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कण्ठ: in the throat
• कण्ठ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (छन्दसि/समासपूर्वपदत्वात् विभक्त्यभावः सम्भवः); स्थानवाचक

• मध्यगः: situated in the middle
• मध्यगः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य + ग (धातु √गम् ‘गमन’ + कृत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृत्प्रत्ययान्त (ग-प्रत्यय), ‘मध्ये गतः’

• तेकारम्: the syllable ‘te’
• तेकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दक्षिणे: in the right (side)
• दक्षिणे: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण हस्ते

• हस्ते: in the hand
• हस्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वाकारः: the syllable ‘vā’
• वाकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वामहस्तगः: situated in the left hand
• वामहस्तगः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाम + हस्त + ग (धातु √गम् ‘गमन’ + कृत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘वामहस्ते गतः’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sādhaka touching heart and throat, then both hands, with each locus emitting a small lotus-flame bearing the syllables ‘ga’, ‘va’, ‘te’, ‘vā’; the right hand poised for offering, left for support/gesture.

Characters & Entities

• Dvādaśākṣara (implied)
• Nyāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes embodied: the mantra is installed in vital centers (heart, throat, hands) so speech and action align with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a ritual-method passage within a broader tīrtha-glorifying chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aṅga-nyāsa assignments for mantra-syllables to heart, throat, and hands.