Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

पुरा कृतयुगे राजन्नासीद्दारुवनं महत् । नानाद्रुमलताकीर्णं नानावल्ल्युपशोभितम्

Transliteration

purā kṛtayuge rājannāsīddāruvanaṃ mahat | nānādrumalatākīrṇaṃ nānāvallyupaśobhitam

Translation

In uralter Zeit, im Kṛtayuga, o König, gab es einen weiten Wald namens Dāruvana—er war erfüllt von mannigfachen Bäumen und Schlingpflanzen und durch vielfältige Kletterranken geschmückt.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'formerly/once')

• कृतयुगे: in the Kṛta age
• कृतयुगे: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतयुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालाधिकरणे (locative of time)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन (address)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दारुवनम्: a forest of trees (Dāruvana)
• दारुवनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दारु + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय-रूपे (subject)

• महत्: great, vast
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying दारुवनम्)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्)
• Form: विविधार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable meaning 'various/many')—समासपूर्वपदत्वेन

• द्रुम: tree
• द्रुम: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• लता: creeper
• लता: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• कीर्णम्: strewn/filled with
• कीर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कॄ (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying दारुवनम्)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: विविधार्थक-अव्यय—समासपूर्वपदत्वेन

• वल्ली: vine, creeper
• वल्ली: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्ली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• उपशोभितम्: adorned/beautified by
• उपशोभितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + शुभ् (धातु) + णिच्? + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying दारुवनम्)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dāruvana

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast primeval forest in Kṛtayuga, dense with varied trees, creepers, and flowering vines; a sacred, untouched wilderness with layered greenery and dappled light.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛtayuga
• Dāruvana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas root sacred sites in timeless cosmic history, showing that holiness is woven into creation across yugas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sets the backdrop (Dāruvana); the tīrtha focus emerges as the narrative progresses toward Guhāvāsī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.