Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 200

Devanagari script

शैवः षडक्षरो मन्त्रो नृणामशुभहारकः । स त्वया शक्तितो विप्र जपनीयो दिवानिशम्

Transliteration

śaivaḥ ṣaḍakṣaro mantro nṛṇāmaśubhahārakaḥ | sa tvayā śaktito vipra japanīyo divāniśam

Translation

มนตร์ไศวะหกพยางค์ย่อมขจัดอัปมงคลของมนุษย์ทั้งหลาย; โอ้พราหมณ์ จงสวดภาวนาตามกำลังของท่าน ทั้งกลางวันและกลางคืน

Word by Word

• शैवः: Śaiva
• शैवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Śaiva/pertaining to Śiva)

• षडक्षरः: six-syllabled
• षडक्षरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (षड् अक्षराणि यस्य) = 'six-syllabled'

• मन्त्रः: mantra
• मन्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• अशुभहारकः: remover of evil
• अशुभहारकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + हारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (अशुभं हरति इति) = 'remover of inauspiciousness'

• सः: that (mantra)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; कर्तृ-करणे (by you)

• शक्तितः: to the best of (your) ability
• शक्तितः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययम् (ablatival adverb) = 'according to ability/as far as possible'

• विप्र: O Brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• जपनीयः: should be recited
• जपनीयः: Kriya (Obligation predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: अनीयर्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (Gerundive/भाव्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (to be recited)

• दिवानिशम्: day and night
• दिवानिशम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय) + निशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् द्वन्द्व-समाहारः (day and night = always)

Speaker

The transformed serpent/person (instructor) addressing the brāhmaṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ṣaḍakṣara-mantra (Śaiva)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vipro/dvija (addressed directly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa devotee sits in padmāsana with rudrākṣa mālā, silently repeating the six-syllabled mantra; behind him a Śiva-liṅga with bilva leaves and a steady lamp; day and night indicated by sun and moon motifs.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Ṣaḍakṣara-mantra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-mantra japa is upheld as a universally purifying discipline that dispels aśubha and supports both worldly well-being and spiritual ascent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is given within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha narrative; the māhātmya focus is on the practice empowered by the sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Chant the Śaiva ṣaḍakṣara mantra continuously (day and night), adjusted to one’s strength and circumstances.