Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

पद्मखंडसमाच्छन्नसरोवरमुखांबुजा । फलवृक्षौषधीभिश्च किंचित्पांडुमुखच्छविः

Transliteration

padmakhaṃḍasamācchannasarovaramukhāṃbujā | phalavṛkṣauṣadhībhiśca kiṃcitpāṃḍumukhacchaviḥ

Translation

Lotusbüschel bedeckten das Antlitz der Teiche; fruchttragende Bäume und heilkräftige Kräuter waren reichlich vorhanden — und das Land trug einen sanften, leicht blassen Schimmer.

Word by Word

• पद्मखण्डसमाच्छन्नसरोवरमुखाम्बुजा: (with) lake-mouth lotuses covered by clusters of lotuses
• पद्मखण्डसमाच्छन्नसरोवरमुखाम्बुजा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक) + खण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्-आ-छद् (धातु)→समाच्छन्न (कृदन्त) + सरोवर (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः—‘पद्मखण्डैः समाच्छन्नानि सरोवरस्य मुखाम्बुजानि यस्याः/यत्र’ इत्यर्थे (contextually describing the season/scene)

• फलवृक्षौषधीभिः: with fruit-trees and herbs
• फलवृक्षौषधीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + औषधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः ‘फलवृक्षाः च औषधयः च’

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• किञ्चित्: somewhat
• किञ्चित्: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किञ्चित् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: somewhat)

• पाण्डुमुखच्छविः: having a slightly pale facial hue
• पाण्डुमुखच्छविः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाण्डु (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक) + छवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः ‘पाण्डुं मुखं (यस्याः) छविः’/‘पाण्डुमुखस्य छविः’ (pale-faced complexion)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the Ṛṣis (deduced; speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred region with ponds whose surfaces are crowded with lotus clusters; groves of fruit trees and medicinal herbs; the land glows with a soft, slightly pale radiance of early autumn.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is not only holy by legend but also marked by auspicious harmony in nature—water, plants, and healing herbs reflecting dharmic abundance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (Adhyāya 254); the site name is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is a descriptive glorification of the sacred environment.