Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

शालग्रामशिला यत्र गंडकीविमले जले । तत्र स्नात्वा च पीत्वा च ब्रह्मणः पदमाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

śālagrāmaśilā yatra gaṃḍakīvimale jale | tatra snātvā ca pītvā ca brahmaṇaḥ padamāpnuyāt

Translation

Là où se trouve la pierre de Śālagrāma dans les eaux pures de la Gaṇḍakī—en s’y baignant et en buvant cette eau, on atteint l’état sublime (pada) de Brahmā.

Word by Word

• śālagrāmaśilā: the Śālagrāma stone
• śālagrāmaśilā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śālagrāma-śilā (प्रातिपदिक; शालग्राम + शिला)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता/विषय

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Relative location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• gaṃḍakīvimale: in the pure Gaṇḍakī
• gaṃḍakīvimale: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaṃḍakī-vimala (प्रातिपदिक; गंडकी + विमल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘jale’)

• jale: in water
• jale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb: there)

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Kriya (Prior action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having bathed)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• pītvā: having drunk
• pītvā: Kriya (Prior action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having drunk)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahmā
• brahmaṇaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• padam: state; abode
• padam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• āpnuyāt: may attain
• āpnuyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/सम्भावना-आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṇḍakī (Śālagrāma-tīrtha)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees bathe in crystal Gaṇḍakī waters; one holds a Śālagrāma aloft; another drinks cupped water; above, a subtle Brahmā-loka vision—four-faced Brahmā seated on lotus—signifying ‘Brahmaṇaḥ padam’.

Characters & Entities

• Śālagrāma
• Gaṇḍakī
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Physical pilgrimage actions—snāna (bathing) and pāna (drinking)—performed at a sanctified site are affirmed as powerful means to attain exalted spiritual status.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṇḍakī river tīrtha where Śālagrāma stones are present.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathed in the Gaṇḍakī’s pure waters and drink that water at the place associated with Śālagrāma.