Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

नानाद्रुमलताकीर्णं नानावल्लीभिरावृतम् । सपुष्पं फलितं कान्तं वनं चैत्ररथं यथा

Transliteration

nānādrumalatākīrṇaṃ nānāvallībhirāvṛtam | sapuṣpaṃ phalitaṃ kāntaṃ vanaṃ caitrarathaṃ yathā

Translation

Cette forêt délicieuse—parsemée de maints arbres et lianes, enveloppée de vignes diverses, toute en fleurs et lourde de fruits—semblait le fameux bosquet de Caitraratha.

Word by Word

• नाना: various
• नाना: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, नानात्ववाचक (adverb: ‘various’)

• द्रुमलताकीर्णम्: strewn/filled with trees and creepers
• द्रुमलताकीर्णम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रुम (प्रातिपदिक) + लता (प्रातिपदिक) + √कॄ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘कीर्ण’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (द्रुम-लता) इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वसमासः + कीर्णम्

• नाना: various
• नाना: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, नानात्ववाचक (adverb: ‘various’)

• वल्लीभिः: by creepers/vines
• वल्लीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्ली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• आवृतम्: covered
• आवृतम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√वृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सपुष्पम्: with flowers
• सपुष्पम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्गसदृश/समासपूर्वपद) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः (‘स’ = ‘सहित’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• फलितम्: bearing fruit
• फलितम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √फल् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कान्तम्: lovely
• कान्तम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• चैत्ररथम्: Caitraratha (the divine grove)
• चैत्ररथम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्ररथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (उपमान/नाम)

• यथा: as/like
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparator/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमानवाचक (comparative particle: ‘as/like’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual deduction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra vana (Caitraratha-upamā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant forest thick with trees and creepers, every branch flowering and fruiting, with an otherworldly glow suggesting Caitraratha; pilgrims pause in awe as light filters through vines.

Characters & Entities

• Vana (forest)
• Caitraratha (grove)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma and tapas permeate a place, the earthly landscape mirrors celestial sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred forest (tapovana) in the Vindhya region, praised as comparable to Caitraratha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a laudatory description establishing the holiness of the locale.