Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

शालग्रामशिलाश्चैव द्वादशैव हि पूजिताः । ताभिः सहाकरैरेभिः प्रत्यक्षैः सह संसदि

Transliteration

śālagrāmaśilāścaiva dvādaśaiva hi pūjitāḥ | tābhiḥ sahākarairebhiḥ pratyakṣaiḥ saha saṃsadi

Translation

ଏବଂ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ଦ୍ୱାଦଶ ଶାଳଗ୍ରାମ-ଶିଳାମାନଙ୍କୁ ପୂଜା କରିବା ଉଚିତ। ସେମାନଙ୍କ ସହ—ଏହି ସାକାର, ପ୍ରତ୍ୟକ୍ଷ ସନ୍ନିଧିମାନଙ୍କ ସହିତ—ପୂଜା-ସଭାରେ (ଆରାଧନା ହୁଏ)।

Word by Word

• शालग्रामशिलाः: Śālagrāma stones
• शालग्रामशिलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालग्राम-शिला (प्रातिपदिक; शालग्राम + शिला)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादशन् (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्द; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचनार्थे (qualifying ‘stones’)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतु-बोधक

• पूजिताः: worshipped
• पूजिताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (agreeing with implied masculine ‘they’/or treated as masc. for ‘stones’ in context)

• ताभिः: with them
• ताभिः: Sahakarana (Accompaniment/सहकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahartha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-शब्दः; सहार्थक-अव्यय (with)

• आकारैः: by/with forms
• आकारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• एभिः: with these
• एभिः: Sahakarana (Accompaniment/सहकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• प्रत्यक्षैः: manifest, visible
• प्रत्यक्षैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘ebhiḥ/ākāraiḥ’)

• सह: with
• सह: Sahartha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय (with)

• संसदि: in the assembly
• संसदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śālagrāma (as sacred object-tīrtha)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual assembly where twelve Śālagrāma stones are arranged on a clean altar, each marked and garlanded; priests and devotees offer tulasī, water, incense, and lamps, emphasizing ‘pratyakṣa’ presence.

Characters & Entities

• Śālagrāma-śilā
• Dvādaśa (twelve)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship becomes tangible through sacred embodiments like Śālagrāma; devotion is anchored in reverent, ordered practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śālagrāma is traditionally associated with sacred river-landscapes (notably Gaṇḍakī), but this verse itself does not specify a particular tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship of twelve Śālagrāma stones, treated as manifest divine presences within the ritual setting.