Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तस्याधस्ताच्छिला विप्रा विद्यते वैष्णवी शुभा । भ्रमन्ती चतुरस्रा च सर्वपातकनाशिनी

Transliteration

tasyādhastācchilā viprā vidyate vaiṣṇavī śubhā | bhramantī caturasrā ca sarvapātakanāśinī

Translation

ആ സ്ഥലത്തിന്റെ താഴെ, ഹേ ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാരേ, മംഗളമായ വൈഷ്ണവീ ശിലാഫലകം ഉണ്ട്; പരിക്രമയിൽ വൃത്താകാരമായി തോന്നിയും ചതുരാകൃതിയുമായും നിന്ന് സർവ്വപാപനാശിനിയാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तस्य: of that (place)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचनम्; 'तस्य (स्थानस्य/तीर्थस्य)'

• अधस्तात्: below
• अधस्तात्: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: below)

• शिला: a stone, rock-slab
• शिला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (कर्तरि/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• विप्रा: holy/noble (stone)
• विप्रा: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; 'शिला' इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (विप्रा = पवित्रा/श्रेष्ठा इत्यर्थे)

• विद्यते: exists, is found
• विद्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु; विद्=सत्तायाम्/ज्ञाने)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमानकाल/Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; 'अस्ति' अर्थे (exists)

• वैष्णवी: Vaiṣṇava, pertaining to Viṣṇu
• वैष्णवी: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; 'विष्णोः सम्बन्धिनी/वैष्णव-स्वरूपा' इति विशेषणम्

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• भ्रमन्ती: moving/whirling
• भ्रमन्ती: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः वर्तमानकालिक-कर्तरि कृदन्तः (present active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; 'भ्रमति' इति

• चतुरस्रा: four-sided, square
• चतुरस्रा: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुरस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; आकार-विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• सर्वपातकनाशिनी: destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपातकनाशिनी: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पातक + नाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; 'सर्वेषां पातकानां नाशिनी' (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaiṣṇavī Śilā (stone-slab)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distinctive sacred stone-slab set on a lower terrace; pilgrims circumambulate; the slab appears four-sided yet associated with a circular path; offerings of tulasī, flowers, and water; a subtle Viṣṇu aura.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiṣṇavī śilā (sacred stone)
• brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)
• Viṣṇu (implicit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa extends tīrtha sanctity to tangible markers—stones and circuits of worship—teaching that devotion expressed physically can purify wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

An auspicious Vaiṣṇavī śilā located beneath the previously described holy region (linked in sequence to Siddhakṣetra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The description suggests a devotional circuit (bhramaṇa/parikramā) around the sacred stone, though the verse does not spell out a full procedure.