Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

कन्योवाच । अहं फलवतीनाम जाबालेर्दुहिता मुने । फलपुष्पार्थमायाता तदर्थमिह कानने

Transliteration

kanyovāca | ahaṃ phalavatīnāma jābālerduhitā mune | phalapuṣpārthamāyātā tadarthamiha kānane

Translation

Das Mädchen sprach: „O Weiser, ich heiße Phalavatī, die Tochter Jābālis. Um Früchte und Blumen zu sammeln, bin ich in diesen Wald gekommen.“

Word by Word

• कन्या: the maiden
• कन्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• फलवती: Phalavatī (name)
• फलवती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फलवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम-रूपेण (proper name)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नाम-निर्देशक अव्यय (indeclinable meaning ‘by name’)

• जाबालेः: of Jābāli
• जाबालेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाबालि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• दुहिता: daughter
• दुहिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुहितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• फलपुष्पार्थम्: for fruits and flowers
• फलपुष्पार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—फलपुष्पयोः अर्थः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• आयाता: have come
• आयाता: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या (धातु) → आयात (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि-भावे ‘having come/arrived’

• तदर्थम्: for that purpose
• तदर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial: ‘for that purpose’)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-बोधक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कानने: in the forest
• कानने: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

Speaker

Kanyā (Phalavatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The maiden introduces herself calmly: Phalavatī, daughter of Jābāli; she holds a basket of forest flowers and fruits, standing modestly in woodland light.

Characters & Entities

• Phalavatī
• Jābāli

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple duties—like gathering flowers and fruits—are part of āśrama life and often become the setting where dharma is tested.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it functions as character-identification within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; “flowers” often imply worship materials, but here they are stated as her purpose without a ritual instruction.