Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

तां निवेद्य गुरौ भक्त्या जन्मादिक्षयकारणम् । शालिग्रामे धूपराशिं निवेद्य हरितत्परः

Transliteration

tāṃ nivedya gurau bhaktyā janmādikṣayakāraṇam | śāligrāme dhūparāśiṃ nivedya haritatparaḥ

Translation

Nachdem man jene (Tulasī-Gabe) dem eigenen Guru in Hingabe dargebracht hat—eine Übung, die Geburt und alles Folgende vernichtet—, soll der auf Hari Ausgerichtete dem Śāligrāma einen großen Haufen Weihrauch darbringen.

Word by Word

• ताम्: that (maṃjarī/offering)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular

• निवेद्य: having offered
• निवेद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि + √विद्/√वेद् (धातु) (निवेदयति) → निवेद्य (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having offered/presented’

• गुरौ: to/at the guru
• गुरौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental Singular

• जन्मादिक्षयकारणम्: the cause of ending birth etc.
• जन्मादिक्षयकारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular; समासः: जन्म-आदि-क्षय-कारणम् = ‘cause of the destruction of birth etc.’

• शालिग्रामे: in/at Śāligrāma
• शालिग्रामे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालिग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular

• धूपराशिम्: a heap of incense
• धूपराशिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक) + राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular; समासः: धूप-राशि = ‘heap/quantity of incense’

• निवेद्य: having offered
• निवेद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि + √विद्/√वेद् (धातु) → निवेद्य (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive): ‘having offered’

• हरितत्परः: devoted to Hari
• हरितत्परः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक) + तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative Singular; समासः: हरि-तत्पर = ‘devoted to Hari’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śāligrāma-arcana with guru-sevā (practice-mahātmya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee bows and offers a Tulasī sprig or prasāda to a seated guru; then turns to a Śāligrāma shrine and offers a thick plume of incense, smoke curling upward like a subtle ladder to the divine.

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Śāligrāma
• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Dhūpa (incense)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through guru-offering and focused worship of Hari in Śāligrāma is praised as a liberating discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śāligrāma worship is emphasized; the verse does not specify a geographic tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer the sacred item (contextually Tulasī) to the guru with devotion, then offer incense (dhūpa) to Śāligrāma with Hari-centered intent.