Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

निर्यासच्छद्मना बाष्पं वासिताशेषदिङ्मुखम् । मुञ्चंति तरवो यत्र दन्तिदन्तक्षतत्वचः

Transliteration

niryāsacchadmanā bāṣpaṃ vāsitāśeṣadiṅmukham | muñcaṃti taravo yatra dantidantakṣatatvacaḥ

Translation

ಎಲ್ಲಿ ಆನೆಗಳ ದಂತಗಳಿಂದ ಗಾಯಗೊಂಡ ತ್ವಚೆಯ ಮರಗಳು, ನಿರ್ಯಾಸವೆಂಬ ನೆಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಣ್ಣೀರಿನಂತೆ ರಸವನ್ನು ಸುರಿಸಿ, ಎಲ್ಲ ದಿಕ್ಕುಗಳನ್ನೂ ಸುಗಂಧಿತಗೊಳಿಸುತ್ತವೆ।

Word by Word

• niryāsa-chadmanā: under the guise of resin
• niryāsa-chadmanā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niryāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + chadman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: ‘with the pretext/guise of resin’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (chadman-), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• bāṣpam: tears, sap-like drops
• bāṣpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (usage varies), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• vāsita-aśeṣa-diṅmukham: scenting all directions
• vāsita-aśeṣa-diṅmukham: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāsita (कृदन्त: √vās ‘to perfume’/‘to scent’) + aśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + diś (प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः; बहुपद), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् bāṣpam प्रति

• muñcanti: release, exude
• muñcanti: Kriyā (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• taravaḥ: trees
• taravaḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: ‘where’)

• danti-danta-kṣata-tvacaḥ: with bark scarred by elephants’ tusks
• danti-danta-kṣata-tvacaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dantin (प्रातिपदिक) + danta (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣata (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + tvac (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: ‘having bark wounded by elephants’ teeth’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (tvac-), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषणम् taravaḥ प्रति

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Elephants have scraped tree bark with tusks; amber resin oozes like tears; the air is visibly fragrant, with wafting scent-lines spreading to the horizons.

Characters & Entities

• Vindhya (Mountain)
• Elephants

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even ‘wounds’ can yield fragrance—suffering can be transmuted into auspiciousness within a sanctified, dharmic vision.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vindhya’s forests, rich with elephants and fragrant resin, are praised as part of the holy region’s grandeur.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is part of the evocative māhātmya description of the terrain.