Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तुलस्या अधिकं प्रोक्तं दलं श्रीवृक्षसंभवम् । तस्मान्नित्यं प्रयत्नेन पूजनीयः सदाऽच्युतः

Transliteration

tulasyā adhikaṃ proktaṃ dalaṃ śrīvṛkṣasaṃbhavam | tasmānnityaṃ prayatnena pūjanīyaḥ sadā'cyutaḥ

Translation

La feuille née de l’arbre sacré Śrī (Tulāsī) est dite souverainement excellente ; aussi, avec un effort constant, faut-il toujours vénérer Acyuta, le Seigneur impérissable.

Word by Word

• तुलस्याः: of tulasī
• तुलस्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुलसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अधिकम्: superior
• अधिकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; दलम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम् (comparative sense: superior)

• प्रोक्तम्: is said/declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (क्रियासूचक/वर्णन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः

• दलम्: leaf
• दलम्: Karta (कर्ता/प्रोक्तम्-सम्बन्धि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• श्रीवृक्षसंभवम्: arising from the śrī-tree
• श्रीवृक्षसंभवम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्री-वृक्ष-सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; दलम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंस, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that reason)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• पूजनीयः: to be worshipped
• पूजनीयः: Vidhi (विधेय/कर्तव्यता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: अनीयर्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/future passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• अच्युतः: Acyuta (Viṣṇu)
• अच्युतः: Karta (कर्ता/पूजनीयः-सम्बन्धि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अच्युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Acyuta (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa) is worshipped at a shrine with a prominent tulāsī vrindāvan; a devotee offers a single tulāsī leaf, shown as more radiant than heaps of other flowers; the verse’s ‘adhika’ idea is visualized by the leaf glowing.

Characters & Entities

• Tulāsī
• Śrīvṛkṣa
• Acyuta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship becomes especially potent when offered with Tulāsī, and steady daily devotion to Acyuta is praised.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is the broader sacred setting of this chapter’s instructions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer Tulāsī leaves in worship and maintain regular, effortful pūjā of Acyuta.