Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 189

Devanagari script

ऋतु पुष्पफलैश्चैव वृक्षगुल्माश्च जज्ञिरे । तैश्च वृत्तिरभूत्तासां धान्यैः पुष्पैः फलैस्तथा

Transliteration

ṛtu puṣpaphalaiścaiva vṛkṣagulmāśca jajñire | taiśca vṛttirabhūttāsāṃ dhānyaiḥ puṣpaiḥ phalaistathā

Translation

Des fleurs et des fruits de saison apparurent, et des arbres et des arbustes naquirent. Par eux, leur subsistance fut maintenue—par les grains, et aussi par les fleurs et les fruits.

Word by Word

• ṛtu: season(s)
• ṛtu: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛtu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• puṣpa-phalaiḥ: with flowers and fruits
• puṣpa-phalaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Emphasis (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• vṛkṣa-gulmāḥ: trees and shrubs
• vṛkṣa-gulmāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + gulma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• jajñire: were born/arose
• jajñire: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural); आत्मनेपदम्

• taiḥ: by/with those
• taiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (masc/neut), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• vṛttiḥ: livelihood/sustenance
• vṛttiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• abhūt: was/occurred
• abhūt: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपदम्

• tāsām: of them
• tāsām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (plural)

• dhānyaiḥ: with grains
• dhānyaiḥ: Karaṇa (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhānya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• puṣpaiḥ: with flowers
• puṣpaiḥ: Karaṇa (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• phalaiḥ: with fruits
• phalaiḥ: Karaṇa (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• tathā: thus/likewise
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A landscape transitioning through seasons: blossoming trees, fruit-laden branches, shrubs and grains; people gathering flowers and fruits for food and offering.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ordered seasons and rightful resources uphold life; dharma is to live in rhythm with ṛtu (seasonal order) and use nature’s gifts responsibly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse highlights the providential order of seasons and sustenance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual instruction appears in this verse.