Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अधस्तात्प्लक्षवृक्षस्य दर्भस्थानैः समंततः । कालशाकैस्तथानेकैस्तिलैश्चारण्यसंभवैः

Transliteration

adhastātplakṣavṛkṣasya darbhasthānaiḥ samaṃtataḥ | kālaśākaistathānekaistilaiścāraṇyasaṃbhavaiḥ

Translation

Au-dessous de l’arbre plakṣa, tout autour, se trouvent des touffes d’herbe darbha ; il y a aussi maintes plantes de kālaśāka, ainsi que du sésame sauvage né de la forêt.

Word by Word

• अधस्तात्: below
• अधस्तात्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• प्लक्षवृक्षस्य: of the plakṣa tree
• प्लक्षवृक्षस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्लक्ष-वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; प्लक्ष + वृक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• दर्भस्थानैः: by/with darbha-places (patches of darbha)
• दर्भस्थानैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ-स्थान (प्रातिपदिक; दर्भ + स्थान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• समन्ततः: Adhikarana (Spatial extent/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परितोऽर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: all around)

• कालशाकैः: with black/dark leafy vegetables
• कालशाकैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल-शाक (प्रातिपदिक; काल + शाक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/उपपद (adverb: likewise/and)

• अनेकैः: many
• अनेकैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• तिलैः: with sesame seeds
• तिलैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

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

• आरण्यसंभवैः: arising from the forest / forest-grown
• आरण्यसंभवैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आरण्य-सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक; आरण्य + सम्भव)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (तिलैः इत्यस्य)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual; likely Sūta’s narration within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Plakṣa-mūla tīrtha-zone (within Hāṭakeśvara kṣetra)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene grove scene: a large plakṣa tree with rings of darbha grass, clusters of leafy greens, and scattered wild sesame plants—quietly indicating a śrāddha-ready spot.

Characters & Entities

• Plakṣa tree (plakṣavṛkṣa)
• Darbha grass (darbha)
• Kālaśāka
• Sesame (tila)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are recognized by their ritual-readiness—nature itself provides the proper offerings for pitṛ-rites, indicating a tīrtha’s potency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha marked by a plakṣa tree and associated ritual spot (later connected with a famed kūpikā/well in this adhyāya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse identifies the key śrāddha materials available at the site: darbha grass, kālaśāka greens, and wild/forest-born sesame (tila).