Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

वसन्तमासे कुसुमाकराकुले मयूरदात्यूहसुकोकिलाकुले । प्रनृत्य देवाप्सरगीतसंकुले प्रवाति वाते यमनैरृताकुले

Transliteration

vasantamāse kusumākarākule mayūradātyūhasukokilākule | pranṛtya devāpsaragītasaṃkule pravāti vāte yamanairṛtākule

Translation

വസന്തമാസത്തിൽ, പുഷ്പങ്ങളാൽ ഉദ്യാനം നിറഞ്ഞു, മയൂർ, ദാത്യൂഹ, ശുക, കുയിൽ എന്നിവയുടെ കലരവം മുഴങ്ങുന്നു; ദേവാപ്സരസ്സുകളുടെ ഗീത-നൃത്തങ്ങളാൽ അത് സങ്കുലമാകുമ്പോൾ—യമനും നൈഋതനും ഉണർത്തുന്ന ഭീതിഛായകൾ നിറഞ്ഞ കാറ്റ് വീശുന്നു।

Word by Word

• वसन्तमासे: in the spring month
• वसन्तमासे: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसन्त + मास (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वसन्तस्य मासः)

• कुसुमाकराकुले: abounding in flower-groves
• कुसुमाकराकुले: Visheshana (Qualifier of locative setting)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुसुम + आकर + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्य), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कुसुमानाम् आकरैः आकुलम् = filled with flower-groves) विशेषणम् (वसन्तमासे)

• मयूरदात्यूहसुकोकिलाकुले: crowded with peacocks, dātyūhas and cuckoos
• मयूरदात्यूहसुकोकिलाकुले: Visheshana (Qualifier of locative setting)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मयूर + दात्यूह + सुकोकिल + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्य), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समाहार (मयूर-दात्यूह-सुकोकिलैः आकुलम् = crowded with peacocks, dātyūhas, and cuckoos)

• प्रनृत्य: having danced
• प्रनृत्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नृत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), धातु: नृत् (having danced)

• देवाप्सरगीतसंकुले: resounding with songs of gods and apsarases
• देवाप्सरगीतसंकुले: Visheshana (Qualifier of locative setting)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव + अप्सरस् + गीत + संकुल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्य), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (देवाप्सराणां गीतैः संकुलम् = filled with songs of gods and apsarases)

• प्रवाति: blows
• प्रवाति: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वाते: when/in the wind
• वाते: Adhikarana (Location/condition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• यमनैरृताकुले: laden with the (southern) Yama–Nairṛta quarter
• यमनैरृताकुले: Visheshana (Qualifier of locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यम + नैरृत + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्य), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (यम-नैरृतैः आकुलम् = filled with Yama’s and Nairṛta’s (southern) influences/quarters) विशेषणम् (वाते)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator), by context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-sāgara (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lush spring grove bursting with flowers; peacocks and birds everywhere; apsarās dance and sing in bright garments—yet the wind carries a dark, chilling undertone, hinted by shadowy personifications of Yama and Nairṛta at the margins.

Characters & Entities

• Apsarases
• Yama
• Nairṛta
• Peacock
• Kokila (cuckoo)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sensory beauty can conceal danger; the verse juxtaposes spring’s charm with ominous forces, warning against attachment and distraction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene belongs to the Gaṅgā-sāgara setting within Revā Khaṇḍa, where Śiva’s tapas is being tested.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a poetic description establishing the atmosphere of temptation and foreboding.