Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

नानामृगगणाकीर्णं नानापक्षिविनादितम् । नानासरित्सरः स्रोतः पल्वलैः परितो वृतम्

Transliteration

nānāmṛgagaṇākīrṇaṃ nānāpakṣivināditam | nānāsaritsaraḥ srotaḥ palvalaiḥ parito vṛtam

Translation

Ia dipenuhi kawanan aneka satwa liar dan bergema oleh kicau berbagai burung; di sekelilingnya terbentang beragam sungai, telaga, aliran air, serta kolam-kolam teratai yang mengitari dari segala arah.

Word by Word

• nānā: various
• nānā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nānā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विशेषणार्थे (indeclinable used adjectivally: 'various')

• mṛga-gaṇa-ākīrṇam: filled with groups of animals
• mṛga-gaṇa-ākīrṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛga (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ā√kṝ (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘ākīrṇa’; तत्पुरुष (neuter, nom/acc sg; 'strewn/filled with herds of deer/animals')

• nānā: various
• nānā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nānā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विशेषणार्थे (indeclinable used adjectivally)

• pakṣi-vināditam: resounding with birds’ calls
• pakṣi-vināditam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pakṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + vi√nad (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘vinādita’; तत्पुरुष (neuter, nom/acc sg; 'resounded by birds')

• nānā: various
• nānā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nānā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विशेषणार्थे (indeclinable used adjectivally)

• sarit-saraḥ: rivers and lakes
• sarit-saraḥ: Visheshya (Appositional item/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarit (प्रातिपदिक) + saraḥ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (neuter, nom/acc sg; 'rivers and lakes collectively')

• srotaḥ: streams
• srotaḥ: Visheshya (Appositional item/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: srotas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative, singular)

• palvalaiḥ: with ponds/marshes
• palvalaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: palvala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (neuter, instrumental, plural)

• paritaḥ: all around
• paritaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paritaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्गार्थ (indeclinable adverb: 'all around')

• vṛtam: surrounded
• vṛtam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vṛ (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘vṛta’ (neuter, nom/acc sg; 'surrounded/covered')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-jalāśaya-maṇḍala (Gaṅgā-centric network of saras/srotas/palvala)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic sacred landscape: deer and other wild animals grazing; many birds calling from branches; a ring of waters—river channels, small lakes, flowing streams, and lotus-filled ponds—glittering around the grove.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a tīrtha-region, harmony of creatures and abundance of waters signify the presence of sacred order (ṛta/dharma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī region, praised through its surrounding rivers and water bodies.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated, though such waters implicitly evoke snāna (holy bathing) traditions.