Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

पंचामृतेन स्नपनं ये कुर्वंति सदा नराः । शालिग्रामशिलायां च न ते संसारिणो नराः

Transliteration

paṃcāmṛtena snapanaṃ ye kurvaṃti sadā narāḥ | śāligrāmaśilāyāṃ ca na te saṃsāriṇo narāḥ

Translation

Ceux qui accomplissent sans cesse l’ablution sacrée (abhiṣeka) avec les cinq nectars (pañcāmṛta) sur la pierre Śāligrāma ne sont pas liés à la transmigration : ils ne demeurent pas des errants du saṃsāra.

Word by Word

• paṃcāmṛtena: with pañcāmṛta (five nectars)
• paṃcāmṛtena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṃcāmṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः—पञ्च अमृतानि (द्विगु)

• snapanam: bathing/ablution
• snapanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snapana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• kurvanti: do/perform
• kurvanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: नित्यत्ववाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always)

• narāḥ: men, people
• narāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• śāligrāmaśilāyām: on the Śāligram stone
• śāligrāmaśilāyām: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāligrāma + śilā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—शालिग्रामस्य शिला (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• saṃsāriṇaḥ: bound to transmigration
• saṃsāriṇaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃsārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (narāḥ इति विशेष्य)

• narāḥ: men
• narāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saurapura (contextual) / Śāligrāma worship focus

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest or householder pours pañcāmṛta in five streams over a Śāligrāma on a silver/copper plate; attendants hold a conch and lamp; the setting is calm and purifying.

Characters & Entities

• Śāligrāma
• Pañcāmṛta
• Saṃsāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional service to Śāligrāma with pañcāmṛta-abhiṣeka is praised as a direct means to loosen bondage to saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse primarily glorifies the sanctity of Śāligrāma (a sacred Viṣṇu emblem), within the broader Tīrthamāhātmya context rather than naming a single geographic tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāpana/abhiṣeka of Śāligrāmaśilā using pañcāmṛta (traditionally milk, curd, ghee, honey, and sugar/jaggery).