Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

विप्रः पूर्वं न्यसेद्देहे स्मृत्युक्तेन निजे बुधः । ततस्तु प्रतिमायां च शालग्रामे विशेषतः

Transliteration

vipraḥ pūrvaṃ nyaseddehe smṛtyuktena nije budhaḥ | tatastu pratimāyāṃ ca śālagrāme viśeṣataḥ

Translation

D’abord, le brāhmaṇa avisé doit accomplir le nyāsa sur son propre corps selon la méthode enseignée par la Smṛti. Ensuite, qu’il le fasse aussi sur l’image sacrée—tout particulièrement sur le Śālagrāma.

Word by Word

• विप्रः: a Brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: first
• पूर्वम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: first)

• न्यसेत्: should place; should deposit
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + √अस्/√स्यन्द्? (धातु) [न्यासे √अस्/√सद् परम्परया; प्रचलित धातु: √अस् (न्यासे) / causative sense]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; विध्यर्थः (should place/assign)

• देहे: in the body
• देहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्मृति-उक्तेन: by what is stated in the Smṛti
• स्मृति-उक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (means: as stated in Smṛti)

• निजे: in one's own
• निजे: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with देहे understood/elliptic)

• बुधः: the wise one
• बुधः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विप्रस्य विशेषणभावः

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse link)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (thereafter)

• तु: then; indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-निपात (but/indeed)

• प्रतिमायाम्: in the image (icon)
• प्रतिमायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha-bodhaka (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (and)

• शालग्रामे: in the Śālagrāma stone
• शालग्रामे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय; विशेष-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक अव्यय (adverb: especially)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Tīrthamāhātmya (deductive attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa sits on kuśa grass, performs nyāsa touching limbs with mantra; before him a small altar holds a Śālagrāma on a pedestal with tulasī leaves and a conch; the atmosphere is meticulous and pure.

Characters & Entities

• Śālagrāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner sanctification (nyāsa on oneself) precedes outer worship, making the devotee a fit vessel for tīrtha-based devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The focus is ritual rather than a named geography; Śālagrāma is highlighted as a sacred emblem intimately tied to Vaiṣṇava pilgrimage culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform nyāsa first on one’s body following Smṛti, then on the deity image—particularly on Śālagrāma.