Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

विप्रः पूर्वं न्यसेद्देहे स्मृत्युक्तेन निजे बुधः । ततस्तु प्रतिमायां च शालग्रामे विशेषतः

Transliteration

vipraḥ pūrvaṃ nyaseddehe smṛtyuktena nije budhaḥ | tatastu pratimāyāṃ ca śālagrāme viśeṣataḥ

Translation

ബുദ്ധിമാനായ ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ ആദ്യം സ്മൃതിയിൽ പറഞ്ഞ വിധിപ്രകാരം സ്വന്തം ദേഹത്തിൽ ന്യാസം ചെയ്യണം. തുടർന്ന് പ്രതിമയിലും, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ശാലഗ്രാമശിലയിലും, ന്യാസം ചെയ്യണം।

Word by Word

• विप्रः: a Brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: first
• पूर्वम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: first)

• न्यसेत्: should place; should deposit
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + √अस्/√स्यन्द्? (धातु) [न्यासे √अस्/√सद् परम्परया; प्रचलित धातु: √अस् (न्यासे) / causative sense]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; विध्यर्थः (should place/assign)

• देहे: in the body
• देहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्मृति-उक्तेन: by what is stated in the Smṛti
• स्मृति-उक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (means: as stated in Smṛti)

• निजे: in one's own
• निजे: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with देहे understood/elliptic)

• बुधः: the wise one
• बुधः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विप्रस्य विशेषणभावः

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse link)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (thereafter)

• तु: then; indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-निपात (but/indeed)

• प्रतिमायाम्: in the image (icon)
• प्रतिमायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha-bodhaka (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (and)

• शालग्रामे: in the Śālagrāma stone
• शालग्रामे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय; विशेष-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक अव्यय (adverb: especially)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Tīrthamāhātmya (deductive attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

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.

Characters & Entities

• Śālagrāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner sanctification (nyāsa on oneself) precedes outer worship, making the devotee a fit vessel for tīrtha-based devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The focus is ritual rather than a named geography; Śālagrāma is highlighted as a sacred emblem intimately tied to Vaiṣṇava pilgrimage culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform nyāsa first on one’s body following Smṛti, then on the deity image—particularly on Śālagrāma.