Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

तां निवेद्य गुरौ भक्त्या जन्मादिक्षयकारणम् । शालिग्रामे धूपराशिं निवेद्य हरितत्परः

Transliteration

tāṃ nivedya gurau bhaktyā janmādikṣayakāraṇam | śāligrāme dhūparāśiṃ nivedya haritatparaḥ

Translation

فإذا قدَّم تلك (قُربان التولسي) إلى الغورو بتعبّدٍ—وهو عملٌ يزيل الميلاد وما يتبعه—فعلى من توجَّه قلبُه إلى هري أن يقدّم إلى شاليغراما كومةً من البخور.

Word by Word

• ताम्: that (maṃjarī/offering)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular

• निवेद्य: having offered
• निवेद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि + √विद्/√वेद् (धातु) (निवेदयति) → निवेद्य (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having offered/presented’

• गुरौ: to/at the guru
• गुरौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental Singular

• जन्मादिक्षयकारणम्: the cause of ending birth etc.
• जन्मादिक्षयकारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular; समासः: जन्म-आदि-क्षय-कारणम् = ‘cause of the destruction of birth etc.’

• शालिग्रामे: in/at Śāligrāma
• शालिग्रामे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालिग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular

• धूपराशिम्: a heap of incense
• धूपराशिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक) + राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular; समासः: धूप-राशि = ‘heap/quantity of incense’

• निवेद्य: having offered
• निवेद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि + √विद्/√वेद् (धातु) → निवेद्य (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive): ‘having offered’

• हरितत्परः: devoted to Hari
• हरितत्परः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक) + तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative Singular; समासः: हरि-तत्पर = ‘devoted to Hari’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śāligrāma-arcana with guru-sevā (practice-mahātmya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee bows and offers a Tulasī sprig or prasāda to a seated guru; then turns to a Śāligrāma shrine and offers a thick plume of incense, smoke curling upward like a subtle ladder to the divine.

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Śāligrāma
• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Dhūpa (incense)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through guru-offering and focused worship of Hari in Śāligrāma is praised as a liberating discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śāligrāma worship is emphasized; the verse does not specify a geographic tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer the sacred item (contextually Tulasī) to the guru with devotion, then offer incense (dhūpa) to Śāligrāma with Hari-centered intent.