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

Pour eux, des milliers de péchés s’éloignent chaque jour, comme anéantis mille fois. Le souvenir constant de Govinda et le service assidu du bosquet de 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).