Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

पारिजातवनामोदलंपटा बहवोऽलयः । कलहंसाश्च बहवः क्रीडमानाः सरस्तु च

Transliteration

pārijātavanāmodalaṃpaṭā bahavo'layaḥ | kalahaṃsāśca bahavaḥ krīḍamānāḥ sarastu ca

Translation

Es gab viele Wohnstätten, vom Duft der Pārijāta-Haine durchweht; und auch in den Seen spielten zahlreiche Schwäne voller Freude.

Word by Word

• पारिजातवनामोदलंपटाः: (those) fond of the fragrance of the pārijāta-grove
• पारिजातवनामोदलंपटाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारिजात-वन-आमोद-लंपट (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘आमोद’ (सुगन्ध) में ‘लंपट’ (आसक्त)

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक/परिमाणवाचक विशेषण

• अलयः: bees
• अलयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• कलहंसाः: wild swans
• कलहंसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलहंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

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

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• क्रीडमानाः: playing, sporting
• क्रीडमानाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शानच्), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘क्रीड्’ = to play/sport

• सरः: a lake
• सरः: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: also/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (particle: ‘also/indeed/but’)

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

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial grove of pārijāta trees perfumes nearby hermitages; clear lakes shimmer as many swans glide and play, suggesting a sanctified Himalayan paradise around Kedāra.

Characters & Entities

• Pārijāta
• Kalahamsa (swans)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a Śiva-kṣetra, even sensory beauty (fragrance, lakes, birds) becomes a sign of purity and spiritual auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra and its lakes/forest-groves within the Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; the emphasis is on contemplative appreciation of the tīrtha’s sanctified environment.