Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

शालग्रामशिलाश्चैव द्वादशैव हि पूजिताः । ताभिः सहाकरैरेभिः प्रत्यक्षैः सह संसदि

Transliteration

śālagrāmaśilāścaiva dvādaśaiva hi pūjitāḥ | tābhiḥ sahākarairebhiḥ pratyakṣaiḥ saha saṃsadi

Translation

Et, en vérité, douze pierres de Śālagrāma doivent aussi être adorées. Avec elles—avec ces formes et ces présences manifestes—dans l’assemblée du culte.

Word by Word

• शालग्रामशिलाः: Śālagrāma stones
• शालग्रामशिलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालग्राम-शिला (प्रातिपदिक; शालग्राम + शिला)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादशन् (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्द; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचनार्थे (qualifying ‘stones’)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतु-बोधक

• पूजिताः: worshipped
• पूजिताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (agreeing with implied masculine ‘they’/or treated as masc. for ‘stones’ in context)

• ताभिः: with them
• ताभिः: Sahakarana (Accompaniment/सहकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahartha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-शब्दः; सहार्थक-अव्यय (with)

• आकारैः: by/with forms
• आकारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• एभिः: with these
• एभिः: Sahakarana (Accompaniment/सहकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• प्रत्यक्षैः: manifest, visible
• प्रत्यक्षैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘ebhiḥ/ākāraiḥ’)

• सह: with
• सह: Sahartha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय (with)

• संसदि: in the assembly
• संसदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śālagrāma (as sacred object-tīrtha)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual assembly where twelve Śālagrāma stones are arranged on a clean altar, each marked and garlanded; priests and devotees offer tulasī, water, incense, and lamps, emphasizing ‘pratyakṣa’ presence.

Characters & Entities

• Śālagrāma-śilā
• Dvādaśa (twelve)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship becomes tangible through sacred embodiments like Śālagrāma; devotion is anchored in reverent, ordered practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śālagrāma is traditionally associated with sacred river-landscapes (notably Gaṇḍakī), but this verse itself does not specify a particular tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship of twelve Śālagrāma stones, treated as manifest divine presences within the ritual setting.