Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

वृक्षाश्च विविधाकाराः पत्रपुष्पफलान्विताः । सदा तत्र भविष्यंति मृगाश्च विहगाः शुभाः

Transliteration

vṛkṣāśca vividhākārāḥ patrapuṣpaphalānvitāḥ | sadā tatra bhaviṣyaṃti mṛgāśca vihagāḥ śubhāḥ

Translation

Là se tiendront à jamais des arbres aux formes variées, chargés de feuilles, de fleurs et de fruits; et des bêtes et des oiseaux de bon présage y demeureront aussi.

Word by Word

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

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• विविधाकाराः: of various forms
• विविधाकाराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध + आकार (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण; कर्मधारय-समास (विविधः आकारः यस्य/ये)

• पत्रपुष्पफलान्विताः: endowed with leaves, flowers, and fruits
• पत्रपुष्पफलान्विताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत्र + पुष्प + फल + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘अन्वित’ = endowed; तत्पुरुष-समास (पत्र-पुष्प-फलैः अन्विताः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• भविष्यन्ति: will be/exist
• भविष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• मृगाः: deer/animals
• मृगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक

• विहगाः: birds
• विहगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विहग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• शुभाः: auspicious/beautiful
• शुभाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (sacred grove ecology as kṣetra-lakṣaṇa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nandivardhana (and Arbuda as addressed mountain)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A transformed Arbuda: varied trees heavy with leaves, blossoms, and fruits; deer and other gentle beasts; auspicious birds perched and in flight; the atmosphere serene and life-giving.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Arbuda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When a place becomes dharmic and divine, nature itself turns auspicious—fertility, beauty, and harmony arise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda mountain-region is presented as becoming a permanent sacred habitat.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse focuses on the signs of sanctity manifested as flourishing nature.