Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

यथा वृक्षत्वमापन्ना देवाः सर्वेऽपि शूद्रज

Transliteration

yathā vṛkṣatvamāpannā devāḥ sarve'pi śūdraja

Translation

Comment se fait-il, ô fils d’un Śūdra, que tous les dieux en vinrent à prendre l’état d’arbres—

Word by Word

• यथा: as; just as
• यथा: Prakaraṇa (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative/conjunctive adverb)

• वृक्षत्वम्: the state of being a tree
• वृक्षत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्षत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (object of ‘āpanna’)

• आपन्नाः: having become/attained
• आपन्नाः: Kriyā (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आपद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past active/resultative participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘having attained’

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of देवाः)

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: also/even)

• शूद्रज: O Śūdra-born one
• शूद्रज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्रज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन-प्रयोग (vocative)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: śūdraja (addressed as ‘son of a Śūdra’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mythic scene beginning: devas shimmering as they transform into various trees; the questioner addressed as ‘śūdraja’ listens; the setting suggests a sacred grove where each tree bears a subtle divine aura.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Trees (vṛkṣa)
• Śūdraja (addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred trees are not ordinary; they are presented as divine transformations, inviting reverence and protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The focus is on the sanctity of trees within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha framework, preparing an origin explanation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated here; it introduces an explanatory narrative about divine trees.