Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

सर्वर्तं कुसुमाढ्यं च रसवत्फलपादपम् । सुसेव्य कंदमूलाढ्यं सुवल्कलमहीरुहम्

Transliteration

sarvartaṃ kusumāḍhyaṃ ca rasavatphalapādapam | susevya kaṃdamūlāḍhyaṃ suvalkalamahīruham

Translation

كانت مزهرة في كل فصل، غنية بالأزهار وبالأشجار ذات الثمار الشهية؛ سهلة الزيارة، وافرة بالجذور والدرنات، وممتلئة بأشجار عظيمة تكتسي لحاءً ناعمًا كأنه لباس الزهّاد.

Word by Word

• sarva-ṛtum: (bearing) in all seasons
• sarva-ṛtum: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛtu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (sarveṣu ṛtuṣu = in all seasons / all-season) विशेषण

• kusuma-āḍhyam: abundant with flowers
• kusuma-āḍhyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kusuma (प्रातिपदिक) + āḍhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (kusumaiḥ āḍhyam = rich in flowers)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• rasavat-phala-pādapam: tree with juicy fruits
• rasavat-phala-pādapam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rasavat (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + pādapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (rasavatāni phalāni yasya saḥ pādapaḥ = tree with juicy fruits)

• su-sevyam: very pleasant to resort to
• su-sevyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + sevya (सेव्य, √sev धातु सेव्य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; यत्/ण्यत्-अर्थे सेव्य (fit to be served/visited), विशेषण

• kaṃda-mūla-āḍhyam: rich in tubers and roots
• kaṃda-mūla-āḍhyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaṃda (प्रातिपदिक) + mūla (प्रातिपदिक) + āḍhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (kaṃda-mūlaiḥ āḍhyam = rich in roots and tubers)

• su-valkala-mahīruham: a great tree with fine bark
• su-valkala-mahīruham: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suvalkala (प्रातिपदिक) + mahīruha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (suvalkalaḥ mahīruhaḥ = a great tree with fine bark)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Skandavana

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luxuriant sacred forest in perpetual bloom: flowering canopies, fruit-laden branches, hermit-friendly paths, and trees with pale bark like natural garments.

Characters & Entities

• Skandavana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred place is portrayed as dharma-supporting: it naturally sustains worship, tapas, and pilgrimage through its purity and abundance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Skandavana—the revered forest/grove associated with Skanda.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse functions as a māhātmya-style glorification of the sacred environment.