Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

आग्नेय्यां हृदयं न्यस्य ऐशान्यां तु शिरो न्यसेत् । नैरृत्यां तु शिखां चैव कवचं वायुगोचरे

Transliteration

āgneyyāṃ hṛdayaṃ nyasya aiśānyāṃ tu śiro nyaset | nairṛtyāṃ tu śikhāṃ caiva kavacaṃ vāyugocare

Translation

于东南（Āgneya）安置“心”真言，于东北（Aiśānya）安置“首”真言；于西南（Nairṛtya）安置“顶髻”（śikhā），并于风神伐由（Vāyu）之域——西北——安置“甲胄”（kavaca）。

Word by Word

• आग्नेय्याम्: in the southeast (Agni-direction)
• आग्नेय्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आग्नेयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; दिक्-नाम (direction)

• हृदयम्: heart
• हृदयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• न्यस्य: having placed
• न्यस्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-आस्/न्यस् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund, ल्यप्), अव्यय; धातु: न्यस् (नि+अस्/आस्), उपसर्ग: नि

• ऐशान्याम्: in the northeast (Īśāna-direction)
• ऐशान्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐशानी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; दिक्-नाम (direction)

• तु: and/then
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• न्यसेत्: should place
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-न्यस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: नि

• नैरृत्याम्: in the southwest (Nirṛti-direction)
• नैरृत्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैरृती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; दिक्-नाम (direction)

• तु: and/then
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• शिखाम्: topknot / crest
• शिखाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction), अव्यय

• एव: indeed / also
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle), अव्यय

• कवचम्: armor (protective sheath)
• कवचम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कवच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वायुगोचरे: in the region of Vāyu (wind-quarter)
• वायुगोचरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायुगोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: वायोः गोचरः (वायु-सम्बन्धि-स्थान)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mandala-like ritual ground marked with directions; the practitioner places mantras into the southeast, northeast, southwest, and northwest quarters, forming a protective circuit around the installed Āditya.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Īśāna
• Nirṛti
• Vāyu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred order matters: aligning body-mantras with cosmic directions harmonizes the worshipper with dharmic space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where ritual correctness is presented as part of the kṣetra’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Directional placement (dik-nyāsa) of hṛdaya, śiras, śikhā, and kavaca mantras in specific quarters.