Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

प्रत्युक्तोऽयं मंत्रराजो द्वादशाक्षरसंज्ञितः । जप्तव्यः सुकुमारांगि वेदसारः सनातनः

Transliteration

pratyukto'yaṃ maṃtrarājo dvādaśākṣarasaṃjñitaḥ | japtavyaḥ sukumārāṃgi vedasāraḥ sanātanaḥ

Translation

มนตรราชนี้ได้ประกาศแล้ว คือมนต์ที่รู้จักกันว่า “ทวาทศอักษร” โอ้สตรีผู้มีอวัยวะอ่อนละมุน พึงสวดภาวนาเป็นญปะอยู่เนืองนิตย์ เพราะนี่คือสาระนิรันดร์แห่งพระเวท

Word by Word

• प्रत्युक्तः: has been replied/declared
• प्रत्युक्तः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति + वच् (धातु) → प्रत्युक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मंत्रराजः: king of mantras
• मंत्रराजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र + राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मन्त्राणां राजा)

• द्वादशाक्षरसंज्ञितः: designated as twelve-syllabled
• द्वादशाक्षरसंज्ञितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश + अक्षर + संज्ञित (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘संज्ञित’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘द्वादशाक्षर’ इति द्विगु-समासः (twelve-syllabled)

• जप्तव्यः: to be recited
• जप्तव्यः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप् (धातु) → जप्तव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘जपितव्यः’ अर्थे

• सुकुमाराङ्गि: O one with delicate limbs
• सुकुमाराङ्गि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुकुमार + अङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (सुकुमाराणि अङ्गानि यस्याः सा)

• वेदसारः: essence of the Veda
• वेदसारः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदस्य सारः)

• सनातनः: eternal
• सनातनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Deveśa) (deduced as respondent to Pārvatī’s address)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (addressed as Sukumārāṅgī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (or the teacher-figure) reveals a ‘mantrarāja’ to Pārvatī, emphasizing its twelve-syllabled form and prescribing japa as the eternal Vedic essence.

Characters & Entities

• Mantrarāja
• Dvādaśākṣara mantra
• Vedas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A concise mantra-practice (japa) is upheld as a complete, Veda-essential path when taught by the Lord and practiced steadily.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named in this verse; it continues within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of the dvādaśākṣara (twelve-syllabled) ‘mantra-rāja’ is prescribed.