Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

कह्लाराः करवीरिश्च कुमुदानि ह्यनेकशः । मंदाराश्च बदर्यश्च क्रमुकाः पाटलास्तथा

Transliteration

kahlārāḥ karavīriśca kumudāni hyanekaśaḥ | maṃdārāśca badaryaśca kramukāḥ pāṭalāstathā

Translation

Dort gab es Kahlāra-Lotos, Karavīra (Oleander) und vielerlei Kumuda-Seerosen; ferner Mandāra-Bäume, Badarī (Jujuben), Arekapalmen (Kramuka) und Pāṭalā-Bäume.

Word by Word

• कह्लाराः: white lotuses (kahlāra)
• कह्लाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कह्लार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• करवीरिः: oleander (karavīra)
• करवीरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करवीरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• कुमुदानि: water-lilies (kumuda)
• कुमुदानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• अनेकशः: in many kinds; abundantly
• अनेकशः: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: in many ways/many times)

• मन्दाराः: mandāra trees/flowers
• मन्दाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• बदर्यः: jujube trees (badarī)
• बदर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बदरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• क्रमुकाः: areca-nut palms (kramuka)
• क्रमुकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रमुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पाटलाः: pāṭalā trees/flowers
• पाटलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाटला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/so)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (Kedārakhaṇḍa setting)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis (addressed as ‘viprāḥ’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A high Himalayan sacred grove near Kedāra: ponds with kahlāra and kumuda lilies, oleander blooms, mandāra-like celestial trees, badarī (jujube) thickets, areca palms, and pāṭalā blossoms forming a fragrant pilgrimage garden.

Characters & Entities

• Kahlāra
• Karavīra
• Kumuda
• Mandāra
• Badarī
• Kramuka
• Pāṭalā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The glory of a Śiva-tīrtha is mirrored in abundant, auspicious flora—signs of purity, merit, and divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakṣetra’s lakes and groves within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicit; flowers and leaves are implicitly connected to devotional worship (pūjā).