Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

आलवालांबुदानैश्च पावितं सकलं कुलम् । यथा श्रीस्तुलसीसंस्था नित्यमेव हि वर्द्धते

Transliteration

ālavālāṃbudānaiśca pāvitaṃ sakalaṃ kulam | yathā śrīstulasīsaṃsthā nityameva hi varddhate

Translation

ด้วยการถวายน้ำที่แอ่งดินตรงโคนรากทุลสี วงศ์ตระกูลทั้งสิ้นย่อมบริสุทธิ์ และดังที่สถาปนาทุลสีอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ได้รับการบำรุงอยู่เสมอ ความรุ่งเรืองแห่งศรี (ลักษมี) ก็เพิ่มพูนอย่างมั่นคง

Word by Word

• आलवाल-अम्बु-दानैः: by giving water at the root-basin
• आलवाल-अम्बु-दानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलवाल (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला (आलवाले अम्बु-दानम्) = giving water at the basin/root; करण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पावितम्: purified
• पावितम्: Karta (Predicate/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पू (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘कुलम्’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम् (purified)

• सकलम्: entire
• सकलम्: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘कुलम्’ विशेषण (entire)

• कुलम्: family/lineage
• कुलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता/विषय (that which is purified)

• यथा: just as/as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/just as)

• श्रीः: Śrī (Lakṣmī)/prosperity
• श्रीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता

• तुलसी-संस्था: situated in/associated with tulasī
• तुलसी-संस्था: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुलसी (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तुलस्यां संस्था) = situated in/associated with tulasī; ‘श्रीः’ विशेषण

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (always)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle) = indeed/only

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) = for/indeed

• वर्द्धते: grows/increases
• वर्द्धते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; (grows/increases)

Speaker

Deductive: Brahmā in Brahma–Nārada dialogue (context of Tulasī-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tulasī-ālavalā (root-basin)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A close, intimate scene: hands pour water into the circular basin around Tulasī’s roots; the family stands nearby; a subtle presence of Śrī (Lakṣmī) is suggested by lotus motifs and a gentle golden glow.

Characters & Entities

• Tulasī
• Śrī (prosperity/Lakṣmī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple daily offerings to Tulasī are portrayed as purifying not only the individual but the whole family-line, while inviting enduring prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter sits inside Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya, but the verse itself glorifies the ‘tīrtha of the home’—Tulasī worship—more than a named river or shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ālavālāmbu-dāna: offering water to the basin around Tulasī’s roots as a devotional act.