Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नंतरे तस्य धवकाष्ठस्य सर्वतः । निष्क्रांता विविधाः शाखाः पल्लवैः समलंकृताः

Transliteration

etasminnaṃtare tasya dhavakāṣṭhasya sarvataḥ | niṣkrāṃtā vividhāḥ śākhāḥ pallavaiḥ samalaṃkṛtāḥ

Translation

Währenddessen sprossen aus jenem Stück Dhava-Holz ringsum Zweige vieler Arten hervor, schön geschmückt mit frischen Trieben und Blättern.

Word by Word

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन, पुं/नपुंसक-सामान्य

• अन्तरे: in the meantime/interval
• अन्तरे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘एतस्मिन्’ इति सह—‘एतस्मिन्नन्तरे’

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धवकाष्ठस्य: of the dhava-wood/log
• धवकाष्ठस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धव + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (धवस्य काष्ठम् ‘wood of dhava-tree’)

• सर्वतः: from all sides
• सर्वतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, दिशावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘from all sides’)

• निष्क्रान्ताः: came out/emerged
• निष्क्रान्ताः: Kriyā (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निस्-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचन; धातु: निस्+क्रम्; ‘शाखाः’ इति सह लिङ्ग-वचन-साम्य

• विविधाः: various
• विविधाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘शाखाः’ इति विशेषण

• शाखाः: branches
• शाखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पल्लवैः: with sprouts/leaves
• पल्लवैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पल्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental/करण), बहुवचन

• समलंकृताः: adorned
• समलंकृताः: Kriyā (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-लङ्कृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचन; ‘शाखाः’ इति विशेषणभावेन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From a dry dhava log, sudden sprouting: many branches burst forth in all directions, covered with tender leaves; onlookers recoil in awe; the place feels instantly holy.

Characters & Entities

• dhava tree/wood (dhava-kāṣṭha)
• branches (śākhāḥ)
• pallava (tender leaves)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Māhātmya literature, miracles function as dharmic proofs—revealing hidden sanctity and turning skepticism into reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse presents a miracle sign within a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter but does not name the specific tīrtha in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it narrates an adbhuta (wonder) occurring after the ritual action.