Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

सुकारं मुखजिह्वायां देकारः कर्णयोर्द्वयोः । वाकारश्चक्षुषोर्द्वन्द्वे यकारं मस्तके न्यसेत्

Transliteration

sukāraṃ mukhajihvāyāṃ dekāraḥ karṇayordvayoḥ | vākāraścakṣuṣordvandve yakāraṃ mastake nyaset

Translation

‘سُ’ کو منہ اور زبان پر رکھے؛ ‘دے’ کو دونوں کانوں پر؛ ‘وا’ کو دونوں آنکھوں پر؛ اور ‘یَ’ کو سر پر نیاس کرے۔

Word by Word

• सुकारम्: the syllable ‘su’
• सुकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-कार (प्रातिपदिक; सु + कार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अक्षर-नाम)

• मुखजिह्वायाम्: on the tongue in the mouth
• मुखजिह्वायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख-जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक; मुख + जिह्वा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

• देकारः: the syllable ‘de’
• देकारः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दे-कार (प्रातिपदिक; दे + कार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अक्षर-नाम)

• कर्णयोः: of the two ears
• कर्णयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), द्विवचन

• द्वयोः: of the two
• द्वयोः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), द्विवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण (qualifying ‘ears’)

• वाकारः: the syllable ‘vā’
• वाकारः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वा-कार (प्रातिपदिक; वा + कार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अक्षर-नाम)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• चक्षुषोः: of the two eyes
• चक्षुषोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), द्विवचन

• द्वन्द्वे: in the pair
• द्वन्द्वे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वन्द्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• यकारम्: the syllable ‘ya’
• यकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: य-कार (प्रातिपदिक; य + कार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अक्षर-नाम)

• मस्तके: on the head
• मस्तके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• न्यसेत्: should place
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√अस् (धातु; अस् ‘to place/throw’, उपसर्ग: नि)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sādhaka with highlighted sensory points: glowing script on tongue/mouth, ears, eyes, and a radiant syllable at the crown; eyes depicted as luminous, suggesting purified perception during pilgrimage.

Characters & Entities

• Dvādaśākṣara (implied)
• Nyāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification of perception and speech: the mantra sanctifies the senses so seeing, hearing, and speaking become devotional.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse itself does not name a site; it supports tīrtha-dharma by prescribing inner consecration alongside outer pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nyāsa on sense-organs (tongue, ears, eyes) and the head as part of mantra installation.