Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

दिव्यैर्वृक्षैः शुभैः पूर्णैर्नदीनिर्झरसंकुलैः । मधुरैर्विहगैर्युक्तो मृगैः सौम्यैः समन्वितः

Transliteration

divyairvṛkṣaiḥ śubhaiḥ pūrṇairnadīnirjharasaṃkulaiḥ | madhurairvihagairyukto mṛgaiḥ saumyaiḥ samanvitaḥ

Translation

Ce lieu était rempli d’arbres célestes et fastes, foisonnant de rivières et de chutes d’eau; il résonnait d’oiseaux au chant suave et était embelli de cerfs doux et paisibles, resplendissant tel un paysage sacré.

Word by Word

• दिव्यैः: with divine
• दिव्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• वृक्षैः: trees
• वृक्षैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• शुभैः: auspicious/beautiful
• शुभैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पूर्णैः: filled/abounding
• पूर्णैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक; √पॄ क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• नदी: rivers
• नदी: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (as compound member), बहुवचनार्थे; समासपूर्वपद

• निर्झर: waterfalls/streams
• निर्झर: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्झर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (as compound member), बहुवचनार्थे; समासपूर्वपद

• संकुलैः: crowded/filled
• संकुलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• मधुरैः: sweet-voiced/pleasant
• मधुरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• विहगैः: birds
• विहगैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विहग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• युक्तः: endowed (with)
• युक्तः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (endowed/connected with)

• मृगैः: animals/deer
• मृगैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• सौम्यैः: gentle/pleasant
• सौम्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• समन्वितः: accompanied (by)
• समन्वितः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+अनु√इ (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (accompanied/provided with)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda tīrtha landscape (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic sacred landscape: celestial trees in bloom, multiple streams and waterfalls, flocks of melodious birds, and gentle deer grazing without fear—an idyllic tīrtha-forest on a mountain.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are portrayed as naturally dhārmic—abundant, peaceful, and life-sustaining—reflecting the merit (puṇya) stored in the landscape.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises the sacred mountain-region in Arbuda-khaṇḍa that will soon be identified with the Nāga-tīrtha spring.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated here; it functions as a māhātmya-style setting description preparing for the tīrtha’s later bathing merit.