Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

सा तापसवने तस्मिन्ददर्शात्यंतमद्भुतम् । पक्षिणः कांचनीयांगान्नानाशब्दसमाकुलान्

Transliteration

sā tāpasavane tasmindadarśātyaṃtamadbhutam | pakṣiṇaḥ kāṃcanīyāṃgānnānāśabdasamākulān

Translation

Là, dans le bois des ascètes, elle vit une merveille sans pareille : des oiseaux aux membres d’or, emplissant le lieu d’un chœur de mille sons.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तापसवने: in the ascetics’ forest
• तापसवने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तापसानाम् वनम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: there/in that (place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• अत्यन्तम्: exceedingly
• अत्यन्तम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्यन्त (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful/marvellous (thing)
• अद्भुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘(किञ्चित्)’ इत्यस्य विशेषण, ददर्श इत्यस्य कर्म

• पक्षिणः: birds
• पक्षिणः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (रूपं प्रथमा-बहुवचनवत्; अर्थतः कर्म-बहुवचन)

• काञ्चनीयाङ्गान्: having golden limbs
• काञ्चनीयाङ्गान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काञ्चनीय (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (काञ्चनीयानि अङ्गानि येषाम्), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘पक्षिणः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• नानाशब्दसमाकुलान्: filled with various sounds
• नानाशब्दसमाकुलान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + शब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + समाकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (नानाविधैः शब्दैः समाकुलाः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘पक्षिणः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa conveying the Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within the ascetics’ grove, Vṛṃdā beholds astonishing birds with golden limbs; the air is filled with layered, many-toned birdsong.

Characters & Entities

• tāpasavana (ascetics’ grove)
• pakṣi (birds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s holiness is revealed through auspicious, otherworldly signs—nature itself becomes a witness to dharma and sacred power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate sacred setting is the tāpasa-vana (ascetics’ grove) within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s tīrtha narrative, indicating proximity to a potent pilgrimage locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse highlights darśana (beholding) of auspicious phenomena that traditionally inspires faith before tīrtha rites.