Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

नानाद्रुमलताकीर्णं निकुंजैरुपशोभितम् । मातंगैश्च समाजुष्टं मंजुगुंजन्मधुव्रतम्

Transliteration

nānādrumalatākīrṇaṃ nikuṃjairupaśobhitam | mātaṃgaiśca samājuṣṭaṃ maṃjuguṃjanmadhuvratam

Translation

امتلأ المكان بأشجارٍ شتّى وكرومٍ ملتفّة، وتزيّنته الأيكاتُ والرياضُ الوارفة؛ تؤمه الفيلة، ويترنّم فيه طنينُ النحلِ العذبُ الساعي إلى الرحيق والعسل.

Word by Word

• नाना: various, many kinds of
• नाना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; विशेषणार्थे (adverbial/indeclinable qualifier)

• द्रुमलताकीर्णम्: strewn/filled with trees and creepers
• द्रुमलताकीर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रुम (प्रातिपदिक) + लता (प्रातिपदिक) + कीर्ण (कृदन्त; √कॄ/किर्)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्वपूर्वपद-तत्पुरुषः: द्रुम-लता-भिः कीर्णम्; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• निकुञ्जैः: by groves, with bowers
• निकुञ्जैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निकुञ्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• उपशोभितम्: adorned
• उपशोभितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-शुभ् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• मातङ्गैः: by elephants
• मातङ्गैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• समाजुष्टम्: frequented, inhabited
• समाजुष्टम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-√जुष् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• मञ्जुगुञ्जन्मधुव्रतम्: (with) bees sweetly humming
• मञ्जुगुञ्जन्मधुव्रतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मञ्जु (प्रातिपदिक) + गुञ्जन् (कृदन्त; √गुञ्ज्, शतृ/वर्तमानकृदन्त) + मधुव्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः: मञ्जु-गुञ्जन् मधुव्रतः (भ्रमरः); नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; (वनस्य विशेषणरूपेण)

Speaker

Narrator within the Dvārakā-māhātmya storyline (speaker not explicit in this verse-set excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (grove-like sanctified environs)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied continuation addressing the goddess being comforted

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vibrant sacred landscape: dense trees and creepers, flowering bowers (nikunja), elephants moving peacefully, and swarms of bees humming around blossoms; the atmosphere is fragrant, musical, and auspicious, with hints of temple spires beyond the grove.

Characters & Entities

• Elephants (mātaṅga)
• Bees (madhu-vrata)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sanctified place is depicted as harmonized nature—beauty, abundance, and auspicious life forms reflecting divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dvārakā region is being praised through the description of a newly manifest, sacred forest.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears; the verse is descriptive, supporting the māhātmya (glorification) of the locale.