Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

मन्त्रराजं सप्रणवं ध्यायेत्सोऽपि न पश्यति । इत्युक्ता सा तपोनिष्ठा तपश्चरितुमागता

Transliteration

mantrarājaṃ sapraṇavaṃ dhyāyetso'pi na paśyati | ityuktā sā taponiṣṭhā tapaścaritumāgatā

Translation

แม้ผู้ใดจะเพ่งภาวนาราชาแห่งมนต์พร้อมด้วยปรณวะ (โอม) ก็ยังไม่อาจเห็นจุดหมายได้เพียงเท่านั้น ครั้นได้รับคำสอนดังนี้ นางผู้มั่นคงในตบะจึงออกไปบำเพ็ญตบะ

Word by Word

• मन्त्रराजम्: the king of mantras
• मन्त्रराजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक) + rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मन्त्राणां राजा); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सप्रणवम्: together with the praṇava (Oṃ)
• सप्रणवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa- (सह) + praṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (सह-प्रणवः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'मन्त्रराजम्' इति विशेषण

• ध्यायेत्: should meditate on
• ध्यायेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhyai (ध्यै धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (also/even)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (पश् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Uddharana (Quotation marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• उक्ता: having been told
• उक्ता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु) + ukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'सा' इति विशेषण (having been told)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तपोनिष्ठा: steadfast in austerity
• तपोनिष्ठा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक) + niṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (तपसि निष्ठा यस्याः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'सा' इति विशेषण

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• चरितुम्: to perform
• चरितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √car (चर् धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive): 'to perform/practise'

• आगता: came, set out
• आगता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√gam (गम् धातु) + āgata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे 'came/arrived' (finite sense)

Speaker

Narrator within Brahma–Nārada dialogue (attribution by section context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-figure instructs an ascetic woman; behind them, a symbolic praṇava and mantra appear, while the ascetic turns toward the path of austerity in the mountains.

Characters & Entities

• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Mantrarāja
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra and meditation must be supported by disciplined tapas and steadfast conduct to bear fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya section of the Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditation on the mantrarāja with Praṇava is referenced, alongside the necessity of performing tapas.