Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

षडक्षरं जपेद्यस्तु महायोगिपुरः स्थितः । मंत्रं तस्य भवेच्छ्रेयः षङ्गुणं राजसूयतः

Transliteration

ṣaḍakṣaraṃ japedyastu mahāyogipuraḥ sthitaḥ | maṃtraṃ tasya bhavecchreyaḥ ṣaṅguṇaṃ rājasūyataḥ

Translation

แต่ผู้ใดพำนักอยู่ ณ มหายคีปุระ แล้วสวดมนต์หกพยางค์ ผลบุญแห่งมนต์นั้นย่อมเป็นหกเท่าเหนือกว่าพิธีราชสูยะยัญ

Word by Word

• षडक्षरम्: the six-syllabled (mantra)
• षडक्षरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षड् अक्षराणि यस्य तत् = षडक्षरम् (द्विगुः)

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचकः

• तु: indeed / but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधसूचक (emphatic/contrastive particle)

• महायोगिपुरः: in front of/at the great yogi’s city (temple precinct)
• महायोगिपुरः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महायोगिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; प्रथमा (as indeclinable-like form in -पुरः), एकवचन; महायोगिनः पुरम्/पुरः (महायोगिपुरः)

• स्थितः: standing
• स्थितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘standing/being situated’

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him / for him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• भवेत्: would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• श्रेयः: the highest good / merit
• श्रेयः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• षङ्गुणम्: sixfold
• षङ्गुणम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; षड्गुणम् इति (द्विगुः), ‘sixfold’ (qualifying श्रेयः)

• राजसूयतः: than the Rājasūya (sacrifice)
• राजसूयतः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजसूय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmasaṃbhava Muni (deduced from concluding verse of the passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahāyogipura

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogic pilgrim seated near the main shrine of Mahāyogipura, counting beads, radiance forming six luminous syllables around him; in the distance, a grand Rājasūya scene fades, indicating japa’s superiority.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāyogipura
• Ṣaḍakṣara Mantra
• Japa
• Rājasūya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner practice (mantra-japa) performed in a sanctified place is valued even above grand royal sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahāyogipura (in the Rudrāvarta tīrtha context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of a “six-syllabled mantra” while residing/being present in Mahāyogipura.