Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

षडक्षरेण मन्त्रेण कीर्तनीयं च शक्तितः । वांछद्भिर्वांछितान्कामान्दुर्लभांस्त्रिदशैरपि

Transliteration

ṣaḍakṣareṇa mantreṇa kīrtanīyaṃ ca śaktitaḥ | vāṃchadbhirvāṃchitānkāmāndurlabhāṃstridaśairapi

Translation

اور اپنی طاقت کے مطابق چھ حرفی منتر کا جپ اور کیرتن کرنا چاہیے؛ خواہش رکھنے والوں کو یہ من چاہے مقاصد عطا کرتا ہے—ایسے ور جو دیوتاؤں کے لیے بھی دشوار ہیں۔

Word by Word

• ṣaṭ-akṣareṇa: with the six-syllabled (mantra)
• ṣaṭ-akṣareṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (‘षट् अक्षराणि’ = six syllables)

• mantreṇa: by the mantra
• mantreṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• kīrtanīyam: to be recited/praised
• kīrtanīyam: Karma (Predicate adjective of object/कर्मविधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kīrt (कीर्त् धातु)
• Form: अनीयर्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive): नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (liṅgam/नाम) प्रति विधेय-विशेषणम्—‘to be praised/recited’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• śaktitaḥ: according to ability
• śaktitaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śaktitas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्): ‘शक्तितः’ = according to one’s ability

• vāṃchadbhis: by those desiring
• vāṃchadbhis: Kartā (Agent in instrumental plural/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāṃch (वाञ्छ् धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle): पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; कर्तृवाचक-विशेषणम् (जनैः implied)

• vāṃchitān: desired
• vāṃchitān: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāṃchita (प्रातिपदिक; √vāṃch)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle used adjectivally): पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (kāmān)

• kāmān: wishes
• kāmān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• durlabhān: hard to obtain
• durlabhān: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur + labha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘दुः’ + ‘लभ’ = hard to obtain); विशेषणम् (kāmān)

• tridaśais: by the gods
• tridaśais: Karaṇa/Upamāna (Instrument/standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tridaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपि = even)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual: Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees seated near a liṅga shrine, counting beads, chanting a six-syllabled mantra; the air vibrates with sacred sound, and subtle divine radiance suggests mantra-siddhi granting rare boons.

Characters & Entities

• Ṣaḍakṣara-mantra
• Devas (Tridaśa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra-kīrtana, when aligned with a sanctified place and sincere intent, is portrayed as a powerful means to attain even rare outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāgarakhaṇḍa liṅga-tīrtha of Adhyāya 30, where ṣaḍakṣara-mantra practice is recommended.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kīrtana/japa of the ṣaḍakṣara-mantra, performed śaktitaḥ—according to one’s strength and capacity.