Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सर्वकामप्रदं प्रोक्तं महापातकनाशनम् । त्रीणि पत्राणि पालाशे मध्यमं विष्णुशापितम्

Transliteration

sarvakāmapradaṃ proktaṃ mahāpātakanāśanam | trīṇi patrāṇi pālāśe madhyamaṃ viṣṇuśāpitam

Translation

ইয়াক সৰ্বকাম প্ৰদানকাৰী আৰু মহাপাতক নাশক বুলি কোৱা হৈছে। পলাশত তিনিখন পাতা থাকে; মাজৰ পাতখন বিষ্ণুৰ শাপে চিহ্নিত বুলি কীৰ্তিত।

Word by Word

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• काम: desires
• काम: Sambandha (Object within compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• प्रदम्: granting all desires
• प्रदम्: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दा (धातु) + क (कर्तृ/विशेषण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः: (सर्व)कामान् प्रददाति इति

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriyā (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु) + प्र + क्त
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• महा: great
• महा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• पातक: sin
• पातक: Sambandha (Object within compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• नाशनम्: destroyer of great sins
• नाशनम्: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √नश् (धातु) + ल्युट् (भाववाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः: महापातकस्य नाशनम्

• त्रीणि: three
• त्रीणि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• पत्राणि: leaves
• पत्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• पालाशे: on/in the palāśa (tree)
• पालाशे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पालाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मध्यमम्: the middle (one)
• मध्यमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• विष्णु: Viṣṇu
• विष्णु: Sambandha (Agent within compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• शापितम्: cursed by Viṣṇu
• शापितम्: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √शप् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्तः; तत्पुरुषः: विष्णुना शापितम्

Speaker

Vāṇī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Palāśa-vṛkṣa (Brahma-vṛkṣa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Narrative audience within the Brahmā–Nārada framed discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A palāśa branch with three distinct leaves is shown as a sacred diagram; the middle leaf subtly marked as ‘cursed’ while devotees carefully select leaves for ritual use; aura of mystery around Viṣṇu’s decree.

Characters & Entities

• Palāśa (Butea monosperma)
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred service to the palāśa is portrayed as both wish-fulfilling and sin-destroying, emphasizing faith expressed through dharmic reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The focus is the māhātmya of the palāśa itself within a tīrtha-context; the verse does not specify a named pilgrimage town.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied ritual caution/teaching about the palāśa’s three leaves (noting the ‘middle leaf’ tradition) relevant for offerings and sacred use.