Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

स्यकारमंगुष्ठयोर्न्यस्य धीकारमुरसि न्यसेत् । मकारं जानुमूले तु हि कारं गुह्यमाश्रितम्

Transliteration

syakāramaṃguṣṭhayornyasya dhīkāramurasi nyaset | makāraṃ jānumūle tu hi kāraṃ guhyamāśritam

Translation

เมื่อวางพยางค์ ‘สยะ’ บนหัวแม่มือทั้งสองแล้ว พึงตั้ง ‘ธี’ ไว้ที่อก; ต่อจากนั้นวาง ‘มะ’ ที่โคนเข่า และ ‘หิ’ กำหนดไว้ ณ แดนลับเร้น (อวัยวะเพศ)

Word by Word

• स्यकारम्: the syllable ‘sya’
• स्यकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्यकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; ‘स्य’ इति वर्णविशेषः

• अङ्गुष्ठयोः: of the two thumbs
• अङ्गुष्ठयोः: Adhikarana/Relation (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), द्विवचन

• न्यस्य: having placed
• न्यस्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√अस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; ‘न्यस्य’ = having placed

• धीकारम्: the syllable ‘dhī’
• धीकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धीकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘धी’ इति वर्णविशेषः

• उरसि: on the chest
• उरसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• न्यसेत्: should place
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मकारम्: the syllable ‘ma’
• मकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘म’ इति वर्णविशेषः

• जानुमूले: at the base of the knee
• जानुमूले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानु-मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जानोः मूलम्)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ

• कारम्: the syllable ‘ha’ (h-kāra)
• कारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘ह’ इत्यादि वर्ण-कारः (सन्दर्भे ‘हि कारम्’ = ‘हिकारम्’)

• गुह्यम्: secret
• गुह्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• आश्रितम्: situated/placed (in)
• आश्रितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ√श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Focus on hands and torso: thumbs marked with luminous ‘sya’, chest with ‘dhī’, knee-bases with ‘ma’, and a discreet aura at the guhya region indicating ‘hi’—handled with visual modesty and symbolic veiling.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The body is ritually transformed into a sacred field through precise mantra-placements, integrating devotion with disciplined practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as a setting where such ritual observances are taught and valorized.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nyāsa placements: ‘sya’ on thumbs, ‘dhī’ on chest, ‘ma’ at knee-bases, ‘hi’ in the guhya region.