Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तां पूजयित्वा विधिवद्गंडकीसंभवां शिलाम् । योगीश्वरो विशुद्धात्मा जायते नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

tāṃ pūjayitvā vidhivadgaṃḍakīsaṃbhavāṃ śilām | yogīśvaro viśuddhātmā jāyate nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Wer jenen aus der Gaṇḍakī geborenen Stein (Śālagrāma) nach rechter Vorschrift verehrt, wird zum Herrn unter den Yogins, von geläuterter Seele—daran besteht kein Zweifel.

Word by Word

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूपम् (f. acc. sg.)

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having worshipped’

• विधिवत्: according to rule, duly
• विधिवत्: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधि + वत् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• गण्डकी-सम्भवाम्: born from the Gaṇḍakī (river)
• गण्डकी-सम्भवाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गण्डकी (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (f. acc. sg.)

• शिलाम्: stone (śilā)
• शिलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (f. acc. sg.)

• योगीश्वरः: lord of yogins
• योगीश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (m. nom. sg.)

• विशुद्धात्मा: pure-souled
• विशुद्धात्मा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (m. nom. sg.)

• जायते: is born / comes to be
• जायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (3rd sg. pres. Ā.)

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

• अत्र: here, in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject—of implied ‘asti’/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (m. nom. sg.)

Speaker

Narrator within the Tīrthamāhātmya frame (deductive: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śālagrāma (Gaṇḍakī-sambhava)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A home/temple altar: Śālagrāma on a clean cloth or pedestal, tulasī leaves, sandal paste, flowers; a devotee performs ārati; behind, a subtle aura shows the devotee as a radiant yogin seated in meditation, symbolizing ‘yogīśvara’ and ‘viśuddhātmā’.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇḍakī
• Śālagrāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritually correct worship (vidhivat pūjā) of a sanctified emblem like Śālagrāma is portrayed as transformative, purifying the practitioner and elevating spiritual stature.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṇḍakī-associated Śālagrāma tradition, rooted in the river’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform vidhivat (scripturally proper) pūjā of the Gaṇḍakī-born stone (Śālagrāma).