Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तिंदुको देवदारुर्वा श्रीपर्णी वा वटोऽथवा । अष्टौ वृक्षाः शुभाः शस्ताः स्तंभार्थं नृपसत्तम्

Transliteration

tiṃduko devadārurvā śrīparṇī vā vaṭo'thavā | aṣṭau vṛkṣāḥ śubhāḥ śastāḥ staṃbhārthaṃ nṛpasattam

Translation

Ou bien encore : tinduka, devadāru, śrīparṇī ou vaṭa. Ô meilleur des rois, ces huit arbres sont de bon augure et recommandés pour façonner des piliers.

Word by Word

• तिंदुकः: the tinduka tree
• तिंदुकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिंदुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• देवदारुः: the deodar cedar
• देवदारुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवदारु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• श्रीपर्णी: śrīparṇī (a sacred tree/plant)
• श्रीपर्णी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीपर्णी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• वटः: banyan tree
• वटः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (alternative particle: 'or else')

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• वृक्षाः: trees
• वृक्षाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• शुभाः: auspicious
• शुभाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; वृक्षाः इति विशेषण

• शस्ताः: commended, prescribed
• शस्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शस्त (प्रातिपदिक; √शंस्/शस् ‘to praise’ इत्यस्मात् क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-विशेषण (praised/commended)

• स्तम्भार्थम्: for the purpose of a pillar
• स्तम्भार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तम्भ + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्तम्भस्य अर्थः)

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नृपाणां सत्तमः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; direct address to a king suggests instruction to a royal listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A display of eight sacred tree options as logs or standing trees around the ritual ground; priests point and discuss selection; the king is addressed as 'nṛpasattama'.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Nṛpasattama (best of kings)
• Tiṃduka
• Devadāru
• Śrīparṇī
• Vaṭa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right action includes right selection—tradition preserves lists of auspicious materials to safeguard sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding tīrtha-māhātmya glorifies a sacred context, but the verse itself is a materials injunction without naming the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A recommended list of eight auspicious trees suitable for crafting ritual pillars.