Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

योऽयं स दृश्यते वालो वटस्तस्य तले स्थिता । देवद्रोणिः सुरेशेन पांसुभिः परिपूरिता

Transliteration

yo'yaṃ sa dṛśyate vālo vaṭastasya tale sthitā | devadroṇiḥ sureśena pāṃsubhiḥ paripūritā

Translation

That young banyan tree you behold—beneath it lies the Devadroṇī, filled with dust by Indra, Lord of the gods.

Word by Word

• यः: which/who
• यः: Karta (Subject—relative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; relative pronoun)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; demonstrative)

• सः: that
• सः: Karta (Correlative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; correlative)

• दृश्यते: is seen
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Present, 3rd person singular, Ātmanepada; passive: ‘is seen’)

• वालः: a child/young one (vāla)
• वालः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• वटः: banyan tree
• वटः: Karta (Apposition to vālaḥ/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• तस्य: of it
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive singular: ‘of that/of it’)

• तले: at the base/beneath
• तले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• स्थिताः: is situated
• स्थिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + स्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (पाठे ‘स्थिता’ अपेक्षा—अर्थतः स्त्री. एकवचन)

• देवद्रोणिः: the divine trough/vessel (Devadroṇī)
• देवद्रोणिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-द्रोणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• सुरेशेन: by the lord of gods (Indra)
• सुरेशेन: Karana (Agent/instrument in passive sense/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• पांसुभिः: with dust/sand
• पांसुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पांसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• परिपूरिता: completely filled
• परिपूरिता: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-पूॄ/पूर् (धातु) + परिपूरित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Feminine, Nominative, Singular; qualifying देवद्रोणिः)

Speaker

Aśarīriṇī Vāk (continuing divine voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devadroṇī (beneath the vaṭa) / Vidureśvara context

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vidura

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A youthful banyan stands over a slightly raised patch of earth; the voice indicates that beneath lies Devadroṇī, packed with dust by Indra—hinting at a buried basin and concealed sanctum.

Characters & Entities

• Vaṭa (banyan tree)
• Devadroṇī
• Sureśa (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places carry identifiable signs (trees, wells, pits) through which divine narratives preserve and reveal hidden holiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Devadroṇī beneath a vaṭa tree within the Vidureśvara tīrtha setting is indicated as the key landmark.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse provides a location marker for where the concealed sacred element lies.