Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

प्रत्यहं द्वादशशिलाः शालग्रामस्य योऽर्चयेत् । द्वारवत्याः शिलायुक्तः स वैकुंठे महीयते

Transliteration

pratyahaṃ dvādaśaśilāḥ śālagrāmasya yo'rcayet | dvāravatyāḥ śilāyuktaḥ sa vaikuṃṭhe mahīyate

Translation

യാർ പ്രതിദിനം ദ്വാദശ പവിത്രശിലകളോടുകൂടി ശാലഗ്രാമത്തെയും ദ്വാരവതീ-ശിലയോടുകൂടിയും ആരാധിക്കുന്നുവോ, അവൻ വൈകുണ്ഠത്തിൽ മഹിമയോടെ ആദരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു।

Word by Word

• प्रत्यहम्: every day
• प्रत्यहम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति + अहन् (अव्यय-समास/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण), अव्ययीभाव-समास; अर्थे—प्रतिदिन (every day)

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या-विशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन ‘शिलाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शिलाः: stones (sacred stones)
• शिलाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• शालग्रामस्य: of Śālagrāma
• शालग्रामस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (सम्बन्ध/possessive)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धि-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• द्वारवत्याः: of Dvāravatī
• द्वारवत्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• शिलायुक्तः: endowed with (that) stone
• शिलायुक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिला + युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √युज्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शिलया युक्तः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘सः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वैकुंठे: in Vaikuṇṭha
• वैकुंठे: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकुण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• महीयते: is honored/glorified
• महीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘is honored’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śālagrāma (Gaṇḍakī) and Dvāravatī (Dvārakā) as tīrtha-śilā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vaiṣṇava house-shrine: Śālagrāma on a pedestal, twelve sacred stones arranged in a mandala, a Dvāravatī stone beside; lamps, conch, tulasī leaves offered; the vision of Vaikuṇṭha opening above with Nārāyaṇa receiving the devotee.

Characters & Entities

• Śālagrāma
• Dvāravatī
• Vaikuṇṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Daily, faithful worship of Viṣṇu through Śālagrāma is portrayed as a direct cause of divine honor and liberation-oriented merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvāravatī/Dvārakā is invoked via the ‘Dvāravatī-śilā’, while the teaching appears within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s devotional framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily arcana (worship) of Śālagrāma with ‘twelve stones’ and additionally the Dvāravatī stone.