Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

यात्कारं च ललाटांते विन्यसेद्वै सुरेश्वरि । न्यासं कृत्वाऽत्मनो देहे देवे कुर्यात्तथा प्रिये

Transliteration

yātkāraṃ ca lalāṭāṃte vinyasedvai sureśvari | nyāsaṃ kṛtvā'tmano dehe deve kuryāttathā priye

Translation

และจงวางพยางค์ ‘ยาต’ ไว้ที่ปลายหน้าผาก โอ้เทวีผู้เป็นเจ้าแห่งเทพทั้งหลาย ครั้นทำนยาสะ (nyāsa) ลงบนกายตนแล้ว โอ้ที่รัก จงทำเช่นนั้นแก่เทวรูปด้วย

Word by Word

• यात्कारम्: the syllable ‘yāt’
• यात्कारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘यात्’ इति वर्ण/बीज-विशेषः

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• ललाटान्ते: at the end of the forehead
• ललाटान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट-अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अन्त-शब्दः), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ललाटस्य अन्ते)

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

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• सुरेश्वरि: O goddess, ruler of the gods
• सुरेश्वरि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-ईश्वरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सुराणाम् ईश्वरी)

• न्यासम्: the ritual placement (nyāsa)
• न्यासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्यय; ‘having done’

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• आत्मनः: Adhikarana/Relation (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देहे: in the body
• देहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवे: for the deity
• देवे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय

• प्रिये: O beloved
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; addressing a goddess/consort figure within the narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūreśvarī / Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritualist completes forehead-nyāsa, then extends the same sanctifying gesture toward the deity’s liṅga, indicating transfer of mantra-power from self to shrine; Devī is envisioned as the addressed listener in the teaching frame.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Sureśvarī (addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True worship consecrates both the worshipper and the worshipped form—inner purity and outer ritual are made congruent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where such complete ritual protocols are taught as part of its sacred greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Place ‘yāt’ on the forehead; perform nyāsa on one’s own body first, then perform nyāsa on the deity.