Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 181

Devanagari script

तुलसीमालया यस्तु भूषितः कर्म चाऽचरेत् । पितॄणां देवतानां च कृतं कोटिगुणं कलौ

Transliteration

tulasīmālayā yastu bhūṣitaḥ karma cā'caret | pitṝṇāṃ devatānāṃ ca kṛtaṃ koṭiguṇaṃ kalau

Translation

Ngunit ang sinumang pinalamutian ng kuwintas na tulasī at ginaganap ang kanyang tungkulin, ang kanyang mga handog para sa mga ninuno (pitṛ) at sa mga diyos ay nagiging sandaang-milyong ulit sa Panahong Kali.

Word by Word

• तुलसीमालया: with a tulasī garland
• तुलसीमालया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुलसी (प्रातिपदिक) + माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः: तुलस्याः माला (tulasī-garland)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis particle)

• भूषितः: adorned
• भूषितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √भूष् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), ‘adorned’

• कर्म: ritual act/deed
• कर्म: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अचरेत्: should perform
• अचरेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• देवतानाम्: of the deities
• देवतानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कृतम्: the merit of what is done
• कृतम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) used substantively (‘that which is done/merit’)

• कोटिगुणम्: crore-fold
• कोटिगुणम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘कृतम्’); समासः: कोट्या गुणः (a crore-fold)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘कलियुगे’

Speaker

Traditional Māhātmya narrator (contextual; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied pilgrim/householder addressed in second person

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in simple attire, tulasī garland on the neck, performs tarpaṇa to ancestors and offers flowers/incense to Viṣṇu; unseen radiance multiplies the offerings in Kali-yuga.

Characters & Entities

• Tulasī
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Devatās
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, sincere devotion (symbolized by tulasī mālā) greatly amplifies the merit of religious duties for gods and ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dwārakā is the Māhātmya context, promoting Kṛṣṇa-centered devotional practice as especially potent in Kali-yuga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing one’s karmas (including deva- and pitṛ-related rites) while adorned with a tulasī garland.