Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

स्कन्धे दाक्षायणी देवी शाखासु च महेश्वरी । पत्रेषु पार्वती देवी फले कात्या यनी स्मृता

Transliteration

skandhe dākṣāyaṇī devī śākhāsu ca maheśvarī | patreṣu pārvatī devī phale kātyā yanī smṛtā

Translation

Dans son tronc, elle est connue comme la Devī Dākṣāyaṇī ; dans ses branches, comme Maheśvarī. Dans ses feuilles, elle est vénérée comme Pārvatī Devī, et dans son fruit, elle est rappelée comme Kātyāyanī.

Word by Word

• स्कन्धे: on the trunk/shoulder (of the tree)
• स्कन्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; masculine locative singular

• दाक्षायणी: Dākṣāyaṇī
• दाक्षायणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्षायणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; feminine nominative singular

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Apposition (Samanadhikarana/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; feminine nominative singular

• शाखासु: in the branches
• शाखासु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; feminine locative plural

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

• महेश्वरी: Maheśvarī
• महेश्वरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; feminine nominative singular

• पत्रेषु: in the leaves
• पत्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; neuter locative plural

• पार्वती: Pārvatī
• पार्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; feminine nominative singular

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Apposition (Samanadhikarana/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; feminine nominative singular

• फले: in the fruit
• फले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; neuter locative singular

• कात्यायनी: Kātyāyanī
• कात्यायनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कात्यायनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; feminine nominative singular

• स्मृता: is remembered/called
• स्मृता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; passive participle used predicatively: ‘is remembered/called’

Speaker

Narrator within Brahma–Nārada dialogue (contextual attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single bilva tree is shown as a cosmic Devī-body: trunk glowing as Dākṣāyaṇī, branches shimmering as Maheśvarī, leaves as Pārvatī, fruits as Kātyāyanī; devotees offer leaves with mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Dākṣāyaṇī
• Maheśvarī
• Pārvatī
• Kātyāyanī
• Devī (Goddess)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches sacred perception: the Bilva tree is to be revered as a living embodiment of Devī in multiple forms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya within Nāgarakhaṇḍa, where Bilva’s holiness is praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied prescription of tree-veneration: honoring Bilva as Devī through respectful worship of its parts.