Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

मासद्वादशनामानि विष्णोर्यो भक्तितत्परः । शालग्रामेषु तान्युक्त्वा न्यसेदघहराणि च

Transliteration

māsadvādaśanāmāni viṣṇoryo bhaktitatparaḥ | śālagrāmeṣu tānyuktvā nyasedaghaharāṇi ca

Translation

مَن كان مُلازمًا للبهاكتي فليتْلُ الأسماء الاثني عشر الشهرية لفيشنو؛ فإذا نطق بها فوق أحجار الشالاغراما (Śālagrāma) فليضعها على هيئة نياسا (nyāsa)، فإنها تزيل الخطيئة.

Word by Word

• मासद्वादशनामानि: the twelve month-names
• मासद्वादशनामानि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास-द्वादश-नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समासः: मासानां द्वादश नामानि (genitive-tatpuruṣa)

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• भक्तितत्परः: devotion-oriented, devoted
• भक्तितत्परः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति-तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of yaḥ); समासः: भक्तौ तत्परः (locative-tatpuruṣa)

• शालग्रामेषु: in/among Śālagrāma stones
• शालग्रामेषु: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; अधिकरण

• तानि: those (names)
• तानि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्म (refers to ‘names’)

• उक्त्वा: having uttered/recited
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having said/recited)

• न्यसेत्: should place/assign
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√अस्/न्यस् (धातु; causative/denominative sense ‘to place’)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; विधि (injunctive: ‘should place’)

• अघहराणि: sin-removers (things that remove sin)
• अघहराणि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ-हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्म; समासः: अघं हरन्ति इति (upapada-tatpuruṣa/agent-noun)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śālagrāma (Kali-Gaṇḍakī sambandha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee seated on kuśa grass before a small altar: a dark, spiral-marked Śālagrāma on a pedestal, tulasī leaves, conch and bell; the devotee recites the twelve monthly names and performs nyāsa by touching the stone reverently.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śālagrāma
• Māsa (months)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional recitation of Viṣṇu’s monthly names, anchored in Śālagrāma worship, is upheld as a sin-destroying, sanctifying discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights Śālagrāma (a sacred aniconic form associated with holy rivers/regions) rather than a single named tirtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite Viṣṇu’s twelve monthly names and perform nyāsa/placement while worshipping Śālagrāma.