Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

शुक उवाच । योऽयं संदृश्यते दूराच्छमीगर्भे च पिप्पलः । एतस्मिंस्तिष्ठते वह्निरश्वत्थे सुरसत्तमाः

Transliteration

śuka uvāca | yo'yaṃ saṃdṛśyate dūrācchamīgarbhe ca pippalaḥ | etasmiṃstiṣṭhate vahniraśvatthe surasattamāḥ

Translation

ಶುಕನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—“ದೂರದಿಂದ ಕಾಣುವ ಆ ಪಿಪ್ಪಲ (ಅಶ್ವತ್ಥ) ಮರವು ಶಮೀ ವೃಕ್ಷದ ಗರ್ಭದಲ್ಲೇ ನಿಂತಿದೆ. ಹೇ ಸೂರಸತ್ತಮರೇ! ಆ ಅಶ್ವತ್ಥದಲ್ಲೇ ವಹ್ನಿ ವಾಸಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ.”

Word by Word

• शुकः: the parrot
• शुकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यः: which/who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Appositional/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देशक सर्वनाम

• संदृश्यते: is seen, appears
• संदृश्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि (is seen/appears)

• दूरात्: from afar
• दूरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-प्रयोगे अव्ययीभाव (ablatival adverb); ‘from afar’

• शमीगर्भे: in the hollow/womb of the śamī (tree)
• शमीगर्भे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शमीगर्भ (प्रातिपदिक: शमी + गर्भ)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• पिप्पलः: the pippala tree
• पिप्पलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिप्पल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तिष्ठते: stands, remains
• तिष्ठते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वह्निः: fire
• वह्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अश्वत्थे: in the aśvattha tree
• अश्वत्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• सुरसत्तमाः: O best of the gods
• सुरसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरसत्तम (प्रातिपदिक: सुर + सत्तम)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे अपि प्रयुज्यते (O best of gods)

Speaker

Śuka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śamī-garbha-Aśvattha (tree-tīrtha motif)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas (collectively addressed as surasattamāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The parrot points out a distant tree: an aśvattha growing within a śamī, and declares that Agni dwells inside that aśvattha; devas turn their gaze toward the indicated marvel.

Characters & Entities

• Śuka
• Agni (Vahni)
• Śamī tree
• Aśvattha (Pippala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinity may dwell in seemingly ordinary natural forms; sacred geography includes holy trees as living abodes of cosmic powers like Agni.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (Adhyāya 90) and frames a local sacred setting marked by the śamī–aśvattha tree and the presence of Agni.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; it establishes the sacred locus (tree-abode of Agni) that later supports tīrtha-related merit.