Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वृषभा नंदिमुख्याश्च रेभमाना निरन्तरम् । देवद्रुमाश्च बहवस्तथा चंदनवाटिकाः

Transliteration

vṛṣabhā naṃdimukhyāśca rebhamānā nirantaram | devadrumāśca bahavastathā caṃdanavāṭikāḥ

Translation

Les taureaux —Nandin en tête— mugissaient sans cesse ; et l’on y trouvait de nombreux arbres divins, ainsi que des bosquets de santal.

Word by Word

• वृषभाः: bulls
• वृषभाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• नन्दिमुख्याः: chief among them being Nandin
• नन्दिमुख्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नन्दि-मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘नन्दि’ (नन्दी) ‘मुख्य’ (chief)

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

• रेभमानाः: bellowing
• रेभमानाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रेभ् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शानच्), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘रेभ्’ = to bellow/roar

• निरन्तरम्: continuously
• निरन्तरम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निरन्तर (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग)
• Form: काल/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: continuously)

• देवद्रुमाः: divine trees
• देवद्रुमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-द्रुम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘देवानां द्रुमाः’

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

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• चन्दनवाटिकाः: sandalwood-groves
• चन्दनवाटिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्दन-वाटिका (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘चन्दनस्य वाटिकाः’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the divine Kedāra forest, bulls bellow continuously with Nandin foremost; towering devadru trees rise, and sandalwood groves spread their cooling fragrance.

Characters & Entities

• Nandin
• Divine trees
• Sandalwood groves

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kedāra is portrayed as distinctly Śaiva—marked by Nandin and auspicious sacred flora.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakṣetra, the Śiva holy land central to Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; sandalwood imagery indirectly evokes pūjā and sacred fragrance traditions.