Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

उत्तरां दिशमास्थाय महाल क्ष्म्यास्तु सन्निधौ । यो जपेन्मन्त्रराज्ञीं तां सिद्धलक्ष्मीति विश्रुताम्

Transliteration

uttarāṃ diśamāsthāya mahāla kṣmyāstu sannidhau | yo japenmantrarājñīṃ tāṃ siddhalakṣmīti viśrutām

Translation

เมื่อหันหน้าไปทางทิศเหนือ ในสำนักของพระมหาลักษมี ผู้ใดสวดภาวนา “ราชินีแห่งมนตร์” นั้น อันเลื่องชื่อว่า “สิทธลักษมี” ผู้นั้นย่อมได้รับพลังอันชำระให้บริสุทธิ์ของนาง

Word by Word

• उत्तराम्: northern
• उत्तराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (diśam)

• दिशम्: direction
• दिशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• आस्थाय: having taken/after resorting to
• आस्थाय: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having resorted to)

• महालक्ष्म्याः: of Mahālakṣmī
• महालक्ष्म्याः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive singular); कर्मधारय-समास

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• सन्निधौ: in the presence
• सन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मन्त्रराज्ञीम्: the queen of mantras
• मन्त्रराज्ञीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + राज्ञी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मन्त्राणां राज्ञी)

• ताम्: that (mantra)/her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सिद्धलक्ष्मी: Siddhalakṣmī (Accomplished Lakṣmī)
• सिद्धलक्ष्मी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (as part of quoted name with iti); कर्मधारय (सिद्धा लक्ष्मीः)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक

• विश्रुताम्: renowned
• विश्रुताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (mantrarājñīm/tām)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Siddha-Lakṣmī sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands in a temple precinct at Prabhāsa, facing north, hands in japa-mudrā, with Mahālakṣmī/Siddha-Lakṣmī enshrined behind a lamp-lit altar; the sea-breeze and conch-sound suggest the coastal kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Mahālakṣmī
• Siddhalakṣmī
• Mantrarājñī
• Uttara-diś (north)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra becomes most potent when practiced with ritual alignment—direction, presence of the deity, and focused recitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahālakṣmī presence at the pīṭha (Mahodaya in Saurāṣṭra, within Prabhāsa-kṣetra narration).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform japa of the “mantrarājñī” called Siddhalakṣmī while facing north, in Mahālakṣmī’s presence.