Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

पनसैर्वनासाभैः शुकनासैः पलाशकैः । पलाशनाद्विरहिणां पत्रत्यक्तैरिवावृतम्

Transliteration

panasairvanāsābhaiḥ śukanāsaiḥ palāśakaiḥ | palāśanādvirahiṇāṃ patratyaktairivāvṛtam

Translation

Couvert de jacquiers, de pousses semblables au vanāsa et de palāśa, il semblait enveloppé de vêtements de feuilles délaissés par des amants séparés de leur bien-aimée.

Word by Word

• पनसैः: with jackfruit trees
• पनसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पनस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• वनासाभैः: resembling a forest-nose (i.e., with protruding ‘snouts’/spikes)
• वनासाभैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वनासाभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (पनसानाम्)

• शुकनासैः: with parrot-beaked (plants/trees)
• शुकनासैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुकनास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• पलाशकैः: with palāśaka trees
• पलाशकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पलाशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• पलाशनात्: from palāśa-wood/fire
• पलाशनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पलाशनात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• विरहिणाम्: of the separated lovers
• विरहिणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• पत्र-त्यक्तैः: by those who have abandoned leaves
• पत्र-त्यक्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + त्यक्त (√त्यज् धातु, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पत्राणि त्यक्तानि यैः)

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Simile marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय

• आवृतम्: covered/enveloped
• आवृतम्: Karma (Result state/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (√वृ धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forested stretch filled with jackfruit trees and palāśas; fallen or sparse leaves suggest ‘discarded garments’ of separated lovers—an evocative, slightly wistful canopy and ground litter.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• panasa (jackfruit)
• palāśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The māhātmya style turns even seasonal foliage into sacred poetry, intensifying reverence for the kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s groves/woodlands within the Kāśī-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None mentioned.