Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

हस्तस्थातुलसीयस्य स तापत्रयवर्जितः । तुलसी हृदयस्था च प्राणिनां सर्वकामदा

Transliteration

hastasthātulasīyasya sa tāpatrayavarjitaḥ | tulasī hṛdayasthā ca prāṇināṃ sarvakāmadā

Translation

Wer Tulasī in der Hand hält, wird von den dreifachen Leiden frei. Und Tulasī, im Herzen wohnend, erfüllt den Lebewesen alle rechten Wünsche.

Word by Word

• हस्तस्था: situated in the hand
• हस्तस्था: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + स्था (कृदन्त, √स्था धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘हस्ते स्थिता’ (locative-tatpurusha)

• तुलसी: Tulasi
• तुलसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुलसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यस्य: of whom/whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तापत्रयवर्जितः: free from the threefold suffering
• तापत्रयवर्जितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ताप (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जित (कृदन्त, √वृज्/√वर्ज् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘तापानां त्रयात् वर्जितः’ इति (षष्ठी/पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुष; excluded from the three afflictions)

• तुलसी: Tulasi
• तुलसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुलसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• हृदयस्था: situated in the heart
• हृदयस्था: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक) + स्था (कृदन्त, √स्था धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘हृदये स्थिता’ (locative-tatpurusha)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्राणिनाम्: of living beings
• प्राणिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे

• सर्वकामदा: granting all desires
• सर्वकामदा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + काम (प्रातिपदिक) + दा (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-आधार, √दा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘सर्वान् कामान् ददाति’ इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee holds a Tulasi sprig while chanting; three symbolic flames (ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika) extinguish; in the heart-lotus, Tulasi shines, and dhārmic wishes appear as gentle boons (health, peace, devotion).

Characters & Entities

• Tulasī
• Tāpatraya (threefold suffering)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer devotion (holding Tulasī) and inner devotion (keeping her in the heart) are both praised as sources of protection and fulfillment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named location appears; the verse emphasizes personal sanctification aligned with the Mahātmya style.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Keeping/holding Tulasī (such as leaves or a sprig) and cultivating heart-centered devotion to her are recommended.