Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 114

Devanagari script

नानाद्रुमलताकीर्णो नानापुष्पोपशोभितः । नानागुल्मलताकीर्णो नानावल्लीभिरावृतः

Transliteration

nānādrumalatākīrṇo nānāpuṣpopaśobhitaḥ | nānāgulmalatākīrṇo nānāvallībhirāvṛtaḥ

Translation

അത് നാനാവിധ വൃക്ഷലതകളാൽ നിറഞ്ഞതും, പലവിധ പുഷ്പങ്ങളാൽ ശോഭിതവുമായിരുന്നു; വിവിധ ഗുല്മങ്ങളും വള്ളികളും കൂമ്പാരമായും, അനവധി കയറുന്ന ലതകളാൽ ആച്ഛാദിതവുമായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• नाना: various, diverse
• नाना: Viśeṣaṇa (modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nānā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverbial distributive: “various/diverse”)

• द्रुम: tree
• द्रुम: Samāsa-aṅga (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: druma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन (stem used in compound)

• लता: creeper, vine
• लता: Samāsa-aṅga (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: latā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन (stem used in compound)

• कीर्णः: strewn/filled with
• कीर्णः: Viśeṣaṇa (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṝ (धातु) + kīrṇa (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; समासः: नाना-द्रुम-लता-कीर्ण (बहुभिः द्रुमलताभिः कीर्णः)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Viśeṣaṇa (modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nānā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक

• पुष्प: flower
• पुष्प: Samāsa-aṅga (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन (stem used in compound)

• उपशोभितः: adorned/beautified with
• उपशोभितः: Viśeṣaṇa (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa-√śubh (धातु) + upaśobhita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; समासः: नाना-पुष्प-उपशोभित (नानापुष्पैः उपशोभितः)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Viśeṣaṇa (modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nānā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक

• गुल्म: shrub, thicket
• गुल्म: Samāsa-aṅga (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gulma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन (stem used in compound)

• लता: creeper
• लता: Samāsa-aṅga (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: latā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन (stem used in compound)

• कीर्णः: filled with
• कीर्णः: Viśeṣaṇa (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṝ (धातु) + kīrṇa (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; समासः: नाना-गुल्म-लता-कीर्ण (बहुभिः गुल्मलताभिः कीर्णः)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Viśeṣaṇa (modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nānā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक

• वल्लीभिः: by creepers/vines
• वल्लीभिः: Karaṇa (instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vallī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण) बहुवचन

• आवृतः: covered, surrounded
• आवृतः: Viśeṣaṇa (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√vṛ (धातु) + āvṛta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amarakaṇṭaka

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luxuriant sacred forest on a mountain slope, dense with varied trees, flowering creepers, shrubs, and interlaced vines forming a natural canopy; the atmosphere is fragrant and vibrant, suggesting a divine hermitage-landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Amarakaṇṭaka (sacred mountain landscape)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are portrayed as dhārmic landscapes—outer beauty reflecting inner purity and divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Amarakaṇṭaka and its sanctified mountain-forest environment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a māhātmya-style description of the holy terrain.