Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

गोपीमृत्तुलसी शंखः शालग्रामः सचक्रकः । गृहेपि यस्य पंचैते तस्य पापभयं कुत

Transliteration

gopīmṛttulasī śaṃkhaḥ śālagrāmaḥ sacakrakaḥ | gṛhepi yasya paṃcaite tasya pāpabhayaṃ kuta

Translation

గోపీచందనం, తులసి, శంఖం, శాలగ్రామం, చక్రచిహ్నం—ఇవి ఐదూ ఎవరి ఇంటిలో ఉన్నాయో, అతనికి పాపభయం ఎక్కడ?

Word by Word

• गोपीमृत्-तुलसी: Gopī-mud and Tulasī
• गोपीमृत्-तुलसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपीमृत् + तुलसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (गोपीमृत् च तुलसी च); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (समाहार/collective sense)

• शङ्खः: conch
• शङ्खः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शालग्रामः: Śālagrāma stone
• शालग्रामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सचक्रकः: with a discus-mark/with cakra
• सचक्रकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + चक्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (चक्रकेन सह/युक्तः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘शालग्रामः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ); ‘also/even’

• यस्य: of whom/whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या-विशेषण; ‘एते’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• पापभयम्: fear of sin
• पापभयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पापस्य भयम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कुतः: from where?/how could there be?
• कुतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक); ‘whence/how?’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañca-vaiṣṇava-upakaraṇa (gopī-mṛt, tulasī, śaṅkha, śālagrāma, cakra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A neatly arranged altar showing the five: gopī-candana container, tulasī sprig, conch on a stand, Śālagrāma on a lotus base, and a radiant cakra emblem behind; a halo of protection encircles the home.

Characters & Entities

• Gopī-candana
• Tulasī
• Śaṅkha
• Śālagrāma
• Cakra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Keeping and honoring core Vaiṣṇava sacred emblems in the home cultivates purity and dispels the anxiety of sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is emblem-focused; it implicitly connects to Vaiṣṇava sacred geographies like Dvārakā/Śālagrāma traditions but does not name a tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintaining these five sacred items in the home as part of daily devotional observance and worship.