Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

वाण्युवाच । अयं बिल्वतरुः श्रेष्ठः पवित्रः पापनाशनः । तस्य मूले स्थिता देवी गिरिजा नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

vāṇyuvāca | ayaṃ bilvataruḥ śreṣṭhaḥ pavitraḥ pāpanāśanaḥ | tasya mūle sthitā devī girijā nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Vāṇī sprach: „Dieser Bilva-Baum ist der erhabenste—rein und ein Vernichter der Sünden. An seiner Wurzel weilt die Göttin Girijā; daran besteht kein Zweifel.“

Word by Word

• वाणी: Vāṇī (speaker)
• वाणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; feminine nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; perfect, 3rd person singular

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; masculine nominative singular pronoun

• बिल्वतरुः: bilva tree
• बिल्वतरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल्व-तरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; masculine nominative singular; ‘bilva-tree’

• श्रेष्ठः: excellent
• श्रेष्ठः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; masculine nominative singular

• पवित्रः: pure
• पवित्रः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; masculine nominative singular

• पापनाशनः: sin-destroying
• पापनाशनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; masculine nominative singular; ‘destroyer of sin’

• तस्य: of it/of that
• तस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; genitive singular pronoun

• मूले: at the root
• मूले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; neuter locative singular

• स्थिता: situated
• स्थिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); feminine nominative singular; ‘standing/located’

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; feminine nominative singular

• गिरिजा: Girijā (Pārvatī)
• गिरिजा: Apposition (Samanadhikarana/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि-जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; feminine nominative singular; ‘daughter of the mountain’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; masculine nominative singular

Speaker

Vāṇī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāṇī (Sarasvatī) points to a radiant bilva tree; at its root a subtle presence of Girijā is suggested—glow, lotus-seat, and protective aura; pilgrims bow with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• Vāṇī
• Bilva tree
• Girijā (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred tree becomes a living shrine when the Divine is believed to abide there—making worship and remembrance purifying.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The bilva-tree shrine-space in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, explicitly sanctified by the presence of Girijā at its root.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied: worship/reverence of the bilva tree as a pure, sin-destroying locus where Devī is present.