Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

न तावत्पुष्पजा माला शालिग्रामस्य वल्लभा । सर्वदा तुलसी देवी विष्णोर्नित्यं शुभा प्रिया

Transliteration

na tāvatpuṣpajā mālā śāligrāmasya vallabhā | sarvadā tulasī devī viṣṇornityaṃ śubhā priyā

Translation

Ein Blumenkranz ist Śāligrāma nicht so lieb; Tulasī Devī ist stets glückverheißend und auf ewig die Geliebte Viṣṇus.

Word by Word

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

• तावत्: so much / to that extent
• तावत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय (so much/that much)

• पुष्प-जाः: born of flowers (flower-made)
• पुष्प-जाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय, √जन् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (पुष्पात् जाता)

• माला: garland
• माला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शालिग्रामस्य: of Śālagrāma
• शालिग्रामस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालिग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (सम्बन्ध)

• वल्लभा: dear/beloved
• वल्लभा: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• तुलसी: Tulasī
• तुलसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुलसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवी: goddess
• देवी: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुलसी-शब्दस्य अप्पोजिशन (समनाधिकरण)

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

• नित्यम्: constantly
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभावः (क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः); always/constantly

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• प्रिया: dear
• प्रिया: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śāligrāma (Viṣṇu)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A comparison tableau: a flower garland set aside while a vivid green tulasī garland is reverently placed on Śāligrāma; tulasī plant stands nearby as a living sacred presence.

Characters & Entities

• Śāligrāma
• Tulasī Devī
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Vaiṣṇava devotion, Tulasī is singled out as uniquely pleasing and spiritually potent compared to ordinary floral offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single geographic tīrtha is named; the verse glorifies Tulasī and Śāligrāma as sacred objects of worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prefer Tulasī in offerings to Śāligrāma/Viṣṇu, recognizing her as especially प्रिय (beloved).