Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

प्राणिनां कृपया लक्ष्मीस्तुलसीवृक्षमाश्रिता । चातुर्मास्ये समायाते तुलसी सेविता यदि

Transliteration

prāṇināṃ kṛpayā lakṣmīstulasīvṛkṣamāśritā | cāturmāsye samāyāte tulasī sevitā yadi

Translation

ด้วยความกรุณาต่อสรรพชีวิต พระลักษมีได้อาศัยอยู่ในต้นตูลสี ครั้นเมื่อกาลจาตุรมาสยะมาถึง หากได้ปรนนิบัติตูลสีโดยถูกต้องตามธรรมเนียม—

Word by Word

• प्राणिनाम्: of living beings
• प्राणिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (of living beings)

• कृपया: by/through compassion
• कृपया: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; हेतु/करण (out of compassion)

• लक्ष्मीः: Lakṣmī
• लक्ष्मीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्ता

• तुलसी-वृक्षम्: the tulasī tree
• तुलसी-वृक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुलसी (प्रातिपदिक) + वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तुलस्याः वृक्षः) = tulasī-tree; आश्रिता इति क्रियायाः कर्म

• आश्रिता: has resorted to/dwelt in
• आश्रिता: Karta (Predicate/कर्तृवाच्य-विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि; ‘लक्ष्मीः’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम् (having resorted to)

• चातुर्मास्ये: in Cāturmāsya
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• समायाते: when (it) has arrived
• समायाते: Adhikarana (Locative-Qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘चातुर्मास्ये’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (when it has arrived)

• तुलसी: Tulasī
• तुलसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुलसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता (in conditional clause)

• सेविता: is served/worshipped
• सेविता: Karta (Predicate/कर्तृवाच्य-विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; कर्मणि/भावे; ‘तुलसी’ इत्यस्य विधेय (is served/worshipped)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय; शर्त (conditional particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tulasī as Śrī-āśraya (Lakṣmī’s refuge)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A flourishing Tulasī tree with a subtle presence of Lakṣmī (golden aura, lotus motifs) residing within/behind it; devotees begin Cāturmāsya service—cleaning the altar and offering lamp and water.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmī
• Tulasī
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving Tulasī is equated with honoring Lakṣmī’s compassionate presence for the welfare of all beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific place is named; the sanctity centers on the Tulasī-vṛkṣa as a devotional locus.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tulasī-sevā (regular service/worship), particularly emphasized during Cāturmāsya.