Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

शालग्रामगतं विष्णुं यः पूजयति नित्यदा । द्वारवतीचक्रशिलासहितं मोक्षदायकम्

Transliteration

śālagrāmagataṃ viṣṇuṃ yaḥ pūjayati nityadā | dvāravatīcakraśilāsahitaṃ mokṣadāyakam

Translation

ശാലഗ്രാമത്തിൽ വസിക്കുന്ന വിഷ്ണുവിനെ ദ്വാരവതിയുടെ ചക്രശിലയോടുകൂടെ ആരെങ്കിലും നിത്യമായി പൂജിച്ചാൽ, അവൻ മോക്ഷദായകമായ പരതത്ത്വത്തെയേ ആരാധിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• शालग्राम-गतम्: gone into/abiding in Śālagrāma
• शालग्राम-गतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शालग्राम (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषणम् (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘गत’), ‘शालग्रामे गतम्’ इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• पूजयति: worships
• पूजयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नित्यदा: always
• नित्यदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यदा (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb of time)

• द्वारवती-चक्र-शिला-सहितम्: accompanied by the Dvāravatī cakra-stone
• द्वारवती-चक्र-शिला-सहितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वारवती (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शिला (प्रातिपदिक) + सहित (कृदन्त; √सह्/√सह् ‘सह’ भावे)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-समासः (तत्पुरुष-प्रायः) ‘द्वारवत्याः चक्रशिलया सहितम्’ इत्यर्थः; ‘सहित’ कृदन्त-विशेषणम्

• मोक्ष-दायकम्: granting liberation
• मोक्ष-दायकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + दायक (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √दा धातु, ण्वुल्/णिनि-प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषः ‘मोक्षं ददाति’ इति

Speaker

Unknown (Nāgarakhaṇḍa narrative voice; likely a Purāṇic teacher)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śālagrāma (Gandaki) and Dvāravatī (Dvārakā) via Cakra-śilā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs daily abhiṣeka and tulasī-arcana to a Śālagrāma on a small altar, with a Cakra-śilā beside it, evoking Dvārakā’s sanctity and the promise of mokṣa.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śālagrāma
• Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)
• Cakra-śilā
• Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeing and serving Viṣṇu in sacred forms (Śālagrāma and cakra-śilā) is treated as direct liberating devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvāravatī (Dvārakā) is referenced via the cakra-śilā, and Śālagrāma is glorified as a sacred manifestation connected to tīrtha tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily pūjā of Śālagrāma Viṣṇu, along with reverence to the Dvāravatī cakra-śilā.