Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

पूजितः पठितो ध्यातः स्मृतो वै कलुषापहः । शालग्रामे किं पुनर्यच्छालग्रामगतो हरिः

Transliteration

pūjitaḥ paṭhito dhyātaḥ smṛto vai kaluṣāpahaḥ | śālagrāme kiṃ punaryacchālagrāmagato hariḥ

Translation

เมื่อบูชา สวดอ่าน เพ่งภาวนา หรือระลึกถึง พระองค์ย่อมขจัดมลทินได้แน่นอน แล้วในศาลครามะเล่า—เมื่อพระหริเองประทับอยู่—ยิ่งประเสริฐเพียงใด!

Word by Word

• पूजितः: worshipped
• पूजितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूजित (कृदन्त; √पूज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; हरिविषयक-विशेषणम्

• पठितः: recited/read
• पठितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पठित (कृदन्त; √पठ् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ध्यातः: meditated upon
• ध्यातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्यात (कृदन्त; √ध्यै धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्मृतः: remembered
• स्मृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृत (कृदन्त; √स्मृ धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपातः

• कलुष-अपहः: remover of sin/impurity
• कलुष-अपहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कलुष (प्रातिपदिक) + अपह (प्रातिपदिक; √अप-हृ धातु ‘अपहरति’ अर्थे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘कलुषं अपहरति’ इति

• शालग्रामे: in Śālagrāma
• शालग्रामे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्थानवाचक-अधिकरणम्

• किम्: what (then)
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थे अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः

• पुनः: again; moreover
• पुनः: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/अधिक्ये क्रियाविशेषणम्

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (correlative)

• शालग्राम-गतः: abiding in Śālagrāma
• शालग्राम-गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शालग्राम (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः ‘शालग्रामे गतः’

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Unknown (Nāgarakhaṇḍa narrative voice; likely a Purāṇic teacher)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śālagrāma

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage inquirer/audience (unspecified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee seated before a Śālagrāma-śilā on a small altar, offering water and tulasī while reciting; a subtle aura suggests Hari’s presence within the stone; impurities (dark smoke) dissipate.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Śālagrāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Any sincere mode of devotion purifies; tangible sacred presence (Śālagrāma) intensifies that purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śālagrāma is honored as a sacred locus of Hari’s presence (a tīrtha-linked sacred object/tradition).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Engage in pūjā, recitation, meditation, and remembrance—especially centered on Śālagrāma Hari.