Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तां पूजयित्वा विधिवद्गंडकीसंभवां शिलाम् । योगीश्वरो विशुद्धात्मा जायते नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

tāṃ pūjayitvā vidhivadgaṃḍakīsaṃbhavāṃ śilām | yogīśvaro viśuddhātmā jāyate nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

ومن عبدَ على الوجه المشروع تلك الصخرة المولودة من نهر غَنْدَكِي (الشالاغرام)، صار سيّدًا بين اليوغيين، طاهرَ الروح—لا ريب في ذلك.

Word by Word

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूपम् (f. acc. sg.)

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having worshipped’

• विधिवत्: according to rule, duly
• विधिवत्: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधि + वत् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• गण्डकी-सम्भवाम्: born from the Gaṇḍakī (river)
• गण्डकी-सम्भवाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गण्डकी (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (f. acc. sg.)

• शिलाम्: stone (śilā)
• शिलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (f. acc. sg.)

• योगीश्वरः: lord of yogins
• योगीश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (m. nom. sg.)

• विशुद्धात्मा: pure-souled
• विशुद्धात्मा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (m. nom. sg.)

• जायते: is born / comes to be
• जायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (3rd sg. pres. Ā.)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अत्र: here, in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject—of implied ‘asti’/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (m. nom. sg.)

Speaker

Narrator within the Tīrthamāhātmya frame (deductive: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śālagrāma (Gaṇḍakī-sambhava)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A home/temple altar: Śālagrāma on a clean cloth or pedestal, tulasī leaves, sandal paste, flowers; a devotee performs ārati; behind, a subtle aura shows the devotee as a radiant yogin seated in meditation, symbolizing ‘yogīśvara’ and ‘viśuddhātmā’.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇḍakī
• Śālagrāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritually correct worship (vidhivat pūjā) of a sanctified emblem like Śālagrāma is portrayed as transformative, purifying the practitioner and elevating spiritual stature.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṇḍakī-associated Śālagrāma tradition, rooted in the river’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform vidhivat (scripturally proper) pūjā of the Gaṇḍakī-born stone (Śālagrāma).