Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तेषां पापसहस्राणि यांति नित्यं सहस्रधा । गोविन्दस्मरणं नित्यं तुलसीवनसेवनम्

Transliteration

teṣāṃ pāpasahasrāṇi yāṃti nityaṃ sahasradhā | govindasmaraṇaṃ nityaṃ tulasīvanasevanam

Translation

Für sie weichen täglich Tausende von Sünden, als würden sie tausendfach getilgt. Stetes Gedenken an Govinda und unablässiger Dienst am Hain der Tulasī—

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (of them)

• पाप-सहस्राणि: thousands of sins
• पाप-सहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पापानां सहस्राणि) = thousands of sins; कर्ता

• यान्ति: go away/vanish
• यान्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; गमनार्थे (go/vanish)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb) = always

• सहस्रधा: a thousandfold
• सहस्रधा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रधा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner/number) = a thousandfold

• गोविन्द-स्मरणम्: remembrance of Govinda
• गोविन्द-स्मरणम्: Karta (Nominal topic/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गोविन्दस्य स्मरणम्) = remembrance of Govinda; (अन्यपदेन सह सूची/वाक्यांश)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb) = always

• तुलसी-वन-सेवनम्: service of the tulasī grove
• तुलसी-वन-सेवनम्: Karta (Nominal topic/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुलसी (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तुलस्याः वनस्य सेवनम्) = service/attendance of the tulasī-grove

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tulasī-vana / Tulasī-sevā as tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee at dawn stands before a lush Tulasī grove, hands in añjali, softly chanting Govinda’s names; fallen leaves are gathered, the altar is clean, and the air feels sanctified as if sins are dissolving.

Characters & Entities

• Govinda (Viṣṇu)
• Tulasī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti expressed as Govinda-remembrance and service to Tulasī is celebrated as a powerful purifier that rapidly dissolves sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A ‘Tulasī-vana’ (Tulasī grove) is praised as a sacred devotional space, without naming a single fixed geographic site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nitya Govinda-smaraṇa (daily remembrance) and tulasī-vana-sevanam (serving/visiting and caring for Tulasī groves).