Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11
विप्रः पूर्वं न्यसेद्देहे स्मृत्युक्तेन निजे बुधः । ततस्तु प्रतिमायां च शालग्रामे विशेषतः
vipraḥ pūrvaṃ nyaseddehe smṛtyuktena nije budhaḥ | tatastu pratimāyāṃ ca śālagrāme viśeṣataḥ
Pertama-tama, brāhmaṇa yang bijaksana hendaknya melakukan nyāsa pada tubuhnya sendiri menurut tata cara yang diajarkan dalam Smṛti. Setelah itu, ia melakukannya pula pada arca, terutama pada Śālagrāma.
Narratorial voice within Tīrthamāhātmya (deductive attribution)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A brāhmaṇa sits on kuśa grass, performs nyāsa touching limbs with mantra; before him a small altar holds a Śālagrāma on a pedestal with tulasī leaves and a conch; the atmosphere is meticulous and pure.
FAQs
Inner sanctification (nyāsa on oneself) precedes outer worship, making the devotee a fit vessel for tīrtha-based devotion.
The focus is ritual rather than a named geography; Śālagrāma is highlighted as a sacred emblem intimately tied to Vaiṣṇava pilgrimage culture.
Perform nyāsa first on one’s body following Smṛti, then on the deity image—particularly on Śālagrāma.