Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तिलाः पुनंत्यर्पिताश्च शालग्रामस्य शूद्रज । चातुमास्ये विशेषेण नरं भक्त्या समन्वितम्

Transliteration

tilāḥ punaṃtyarpitāśca śālagrāmasya śūdraja | cātumāsye viśeṣeṇa naraṃ bhaktyā samanvitam

Translation

হে শূদ্রপুত্র! শালগ্রামে অর্পিত তিল পবিত্র করে। বিশেষত চাতুর্মাস্যে, ভক্তিযুক্ত মানুষকে তা অধিকতর শুদ্ধ করে।

Word by Word

• तिलाः: sesame seeds
• तिलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पुनन्ति: purify
• पुनन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पू (धातु; ‘पवने/शुद्धौ’), पुनाति-गण
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• अर्पिताः: offered
• अर्पिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्पित (कृदन्त; √अर्प् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तिलानां विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः

• शालग्रामस्य: of Śālagrāma
• शालग्रामस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• शूद्रज: O one born of a Śūdra
• शूद्रज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्रज (प्रातिपदिक; शूद्र + ज ‘born’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘शूद्रात् जातः’ इति तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासः; संबोधनम्

• चातुमास्ये: in Cāturmāsya
• चातुमास्ये: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुमास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Hetu/Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे

• नरम्: a man
• नरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; साधन/हेतुभावः

• समन्वितम्: endowed (with)
• समन्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समन्वित (कृदन्त; सम् + √इ (धातु) / √अन्वि ‘अन्वय’ भावे, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नरस्य विशेषणम् ‘युक्त/सम्पन्न’ अर्थे

Speaker

Unknown (speaker addressing a listener called śūdraja)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śālagrāma

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed figure: ‘śūdraja’ (son of a Śūdra) within the narrative; broader audience implied

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee sprinkles or offers sesame seeds before a Śālagrāma; a small bowl of black/white sesame, tulasī leaves, and lamp; the devotee’s posture shows humility; monsoon season cues.

Characters & Entities

• Śālagrāma
• Cāturmāsya
• Tilāḥ (sesame)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion makes purifying acts universally effective; offerings to sacred forms like Śālagrāma cleanse spiritual impurity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śālagrāma is the sanctified focus; the verse also elevates the time-period of Cāturmāsya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer sesame seeds (tilāḥ) to Śālagrāma, especially during Cāturmāsya, with devotion.