Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

धर्मपुष्करिणीतीरे विष्णुध्यानपरायणः । त्रिकालमर्चयन्विष्णुं शालग्रामे विमुक्तिदे

Transliteration

dharmapuṣkariṇītīre viṣṇudhyānaparāyaṇaḥ | trikālamarcayanviṣṇuṃ śālagrāme vimuktide

Translation

Am Ufer der Dharmapuṣkariṇī, ganz in die Meditation über Viṣṇu versunken, verehrte er Viṣṇu zu den drei heiligen Tageszeiten – Ihn, der Befreiung schenkt, wenn man Ihn in der Gestalt des Śālagrāma anbetet.

Word by Word

• धर्मपुष्करिणीतीरे: on the bank of the Dharmapuṣkariṇī (sacred pond)
• धर्मपुष्करिणीतीरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मपुष्करिणी-तीर (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म+पुष्करिणी + तीर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मपुष्करिण्याः तीरम्)

• विष्णुध्यानपरायणः: devoted to meditation on Viṣṇu
• विष्णुध्यानपरायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु-ध्यान-परायण (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णु + ध्यान + परायण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः ध्यानं परायणं यस्य)

• त्रिकालम्: thrice daily (at the three times)
• त्रिकालम्: Adverbial (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिकाल (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + काल)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः (क्रियाविशेषणम्/कालवाचक); द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः कालाः)

• अर्चयन्: worshipping
• अर्चयन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः—शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• शालग्रामे: in/at Śālagrāma (the sacred place/stone)
• शालग्रामे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• विमुक्तिदे: in/at the giver of liberation (i.e., the liberating Śālagrāma/Viṣṇu)
• विमुक्तिदे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमुक्ति-द (प्रातिपदिक; विमुक्ति + द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (विमुक्तिं ददाति इति)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, contextually within Setukhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmapuṣkariṇī

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene sacred tank (puṣkariṇī) at dawn; a devotee seated on the bank in dhyāna, with a small altar holding a Śālagrāma on a pedestal, lamps and water-vessel; distant trees and tīrtha-ghāṭa steps.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmapuṣkariṇī
• Viṣṇu
• Śālagrāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady meditation and regular worship of Viṣṇu—especially through Śālagrāma—are upheld as a direct path toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmapuṣkariṇī, praised as a sacred waterside setting for Viṣṇu-dhyāna and worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Trikāla-arcana: worshipping Viṣṇu at the three daily junctions (morning, noon, evening), with Śālagrāma as the worship-focus.