Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

कुर्वतस्तस्य देवस्य ध्यानं कल्मषनाशनम् । तुलसीमञ्जरीभिश्च पूजितो जन्मनाशनः

Transliteration

kurvatastasya devasya dhyānaṃ kalmaṣanāśanam | tulasīmañjarībhiśca pūjito janmanāśanaḥ

Translation

La méditation sur cette Divinité détruit les souillures ; et lorsqu’Il est honoré par des grappes de fleurs de tulasī, Il devient Celui qui anéantit la renaissance.

Word by Word

• kurvataḥ: of one who performs (does)
• kurvataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) + kurvat (कृदन्त, present active participle)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive), Ekavacana; ‘of (one) doing’; governs devasya as genitive relation

• tasya: of that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive), Ekavacana; pronominal ‘of that’

• devasya: of the deity
• devasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive), Ekavacana; ‘of the god’

• dhyānam: meditation
• dhyānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/Dvitīyā (Nom./Acc.), Ekavacana; here as subject/complement in nominal clause

• kalmaṣanāśanam: destroying sin/impurity
• kalmaṣanāśanam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kalmaṣa + nāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of dhyānam; ‘destroyer of sin’

• tulasīmañjarībhiḥ: with Tulasī blossoms/sprigs
• tulasīmañjarībhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tulasī + mañjarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental, 3rd case), Bahuvacana (Plural); means/instrument of worship

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya (conjunction)

• pūjitaḥ: worshipped
• pūjitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √pūj (पूज्) + pūjita (कृदन्त, past passive participle)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; passive participle used predicatively (‘having been worshipped’)

• janmanāśanaḥ: destroyer of (re)birth
• janmanāśanaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: janman + nāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa (of the deity implied) / predicate adjective; ‘destroyer of birth (rebirth)’

Speaker

Narrative voice within Brahmā–Nārada dialogue context (deduced from adhyāya colophon)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close devotional scene: a worshipper meditates before Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa while offering fresh tulasī clusters; the air feels purified, with subtle light around the deity signifying kalmaṣa-nāśa.

Characters & Entities

• dhyāna
• Tulasī
• deva (Viṣṇu/Hari)
• rebirth (janma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner practice (meditation) and outer worship (offerings like Tulasī) together purify the devotee and lead toward freedom from rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya setting, where such worship is praised as especially transformative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditation on the deity and worship using Tulasī-mañjarīs (Tulasī flower clusters).