Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

शिरस्था तुलसी यस्य न याम्यैरनुभूयते । मुखस्था तुलसी यस्य निर्वाणपददायिनी

Transliteration

śirasthā tulasī yasya na yāmyairanubhūyate | mukhasthā tulasī yasya nirvāṇapadadāyinī

Translation

Barangsiapa menaruh Tulasī di atas kepala, ia tidak disentuh para utusan Yama. Barangsiapa menaruh Tulasī di dalam mulut, ia dianugerahi kedudukan nirvāṇa.

Word by Word

• शिरःस्था: situated on the head
• शिरःस्था: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्था (कृदन्त, √स्था धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण (स्था-प्रत्ययान्त), ‘शिरसि स्थिता’ इति (locative-tatpurusha)

• तुलसी: Tulasi (holy basil)
• तुलसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुलसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यस्य: of whom/whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (genitive)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• याम्यैः: by Yama’s servants (messengers of death)
• याम्यैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण/सहकारक-प्रयोग (instrumental/agent in passive)

• अनुभूयते: is experienced/undergone
• अनुभूयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु) उपसर्गः अनु-
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• मुखस्था: situated in the mouth
• मुखस्था: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक) + स्था (कृदन्त, √स्था धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘मुखे स्थिता’ इति (locative-tatpurusha)

• तुलसी: Tulasi
• तुलसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुलसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यस्य: of whom/whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे

• निर्वाणपददायिनी: bestowing the state/abode of liberation
• निर्वाणपददायिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक) + दायिनी (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक, √दा धातु, णिनि-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘निर्वाणस्य पदं ददाति’ इति (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene deathbed scene: Tulasi leaf placed on the crown of the head; another at the lips; Yama’s messengers stand powerless at a distance; a luminous gateway of liberation opens above.

Characters & Entities

• Tulasī
• Yama (yāmya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tulasī is upheld as a liberating sacramental presence, protecting from fear of death and directing the soul toward mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No geographic tīrtha is named; the verse treats Tulasī as a sanctifying ‘mobile tīrtha’ especially relevant at life’s end.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Placing Tulasī on the head and in the mouth—commonly associated with devotional practice and end-of-life/antyeṣṭi customs—is praised.