Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

एवं चान्वेषमाणेन तेन भूमिभृता तदा । सुदूरादेव संदृष्टं नीलद्रुमकदम्बकम्

Transliteration

evaṃ cānveṣamāṇena tena bhūmibhṛtā tadā | sudūrādeva saṃdṛṣṭaṃ nīladrumakadambakam

Translation

Mientras buscaba de ese modo, el soberano vio desde muy lejos un conjunto de árboles kadamba, de troncos teñidos de un azul oscuro.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• अन्वेषमाणेन: by (him) searching
• अन्वेषमाणेन: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-इष् (धातु) + शानच् → अन्वेषमाण (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle); तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सम्भव (contextually masculine)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• भूमिभृता: by the king (earth-bearer)
• भूमिभृता: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + भृत् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) → भूमिभृत् (समास/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भूमेः भृत् = earth-bearer); पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• सुदूरात्: from very far away
• सुदूरात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुदूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (ablatival adverb); स्थानवाचक (from a great distance)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• संदृष्टम्: seen, sighted
• संदृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-दृश् (धातु) + क्त → संदृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नीलद्रुमकदम्बकम्: a grove/cluster of blue trees
• नीलद्रुमकदम्बकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रुम (प्रातिपदिक) + कदम्बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास (नीलद्रुमकदम्बक = cluster/grove of blue(-hued) trees); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (within Sūta's narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary king scanning the landscape; far off, a dense cluster of kadamba trees with unusually dark-blue trunks stands out against the lighter forest, hinting at hidden water nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Kurukṣetra (context)
• Kadamba grove

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic sacred geography treats nature as a guide—groves and trees become auspicious markers leading seekers toward holy presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha is specified in this verse; it describes an auspicious grove encountered during the Kurukṣetra search.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.