Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 144

Devanagari script

बिल्वस्य प्रसवाग्रेण त्रिपत्रेण प्रजायते । एकेनापि यथातुष्टिस्तथान्येषां न कोटिभिः

Transliteration

bilvasya prasavāgreṇa tripatreṇa prajāyate | ekenāpi yathātuṣṭistathānyeṣāṃ na koṭibhiḥ

Translation

Aus dem zarten Spross der Bilva entsteht das dreiblättrige Opferblatt; schon mit einem einzigen solchen Blatt ist Śiva zufrieden—doch mit Kroren anderer Gaben wird dieselbe Freude nicht erlangt.

Word by Word

• बिल्वस्य: of the bilva (tree/leaf)
• बिल्वस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• प्रसवाग्रेण: by the tip/front of the sprout
• प्रसवाग्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसव + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रसवस्य अग्रः)

• त्रिपत्रेण: with a three-leafed (bilva leaf)
• त्रिपत्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः द्विगुः (त्रीणि पत्राणि यस्य तत्)

• प्रजायते: is produced/comes to be
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• एकेन: by one (single offering)
• एकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• यथा: as/just as
• यथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-उपमा/प्रकारवाचक (manner)

• तुष्टिः: satisfaction/pleasure
• तुष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तथा: so/in the same way
• तथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/in that way)

• अन्येषाम्: of others (offerings)
• अन्येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• कोटिभिः: by crores (of them)
• कोटिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (continuing Śaiva praise within the māhātmya frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up focus on a tender bilva sprout and a perfect three-leaf cluster being placed on a Śiva-liṅga, emphasizing simplicity and potency over abundance.

Characters & Entities

• Bilva
• Śiva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Quality and sacred appropriateness of devotion matter more than quantity—one proper bilva offering can surpass innumerable other gifts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is a general Śaiva ritual-mahātmya embedded in a tīrtha narrative; the verse itself praises bilva-arcana rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer the tri-patra (three-leafed) bilva leaf to Śiva; even a single proper bilva leaf is said to be highly efficacious.