Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

बहुद्रुमलताकीर्णं बहुपुष्पोपशोभितम् । ऋक्षसिंहसमाकीर्णं नानाव्रतधरैः शुभैः

Transliteration

bahudrumalatākīrṇaṃ bahupuṣpopaśobhitam | ṛkṣasiṃhasamākīrṇaṃ nānāvratadharaiḥ śubhaiḥ

Translation

ആ സ്ഥലം അനവധി വൃക്ഷലതകളാൽ നിറഞ്ഞതും ധാരാളം പുഷ്പങ്ങളാൽ ശോഭിച്ചതുമായിരുന്നു; കരടികളും സിംഹങ്ങളും സഞ്ചരിച്ചിരുന്നതും, നാനാവ്രതധാരികളായ ശുഭ തപസ്വികളാൽ സമാകുലമായതുമായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• बहुद्रुमलताकीर्णम्: strewn with many trees and creepers
• बहुद्रुमलताकीर्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु-द्रुम-लता-कीर्ण (प्रातिपदिक; बहु + द्रुम + लता + कीर्ण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (describing the place/scene)

• बहुपुष्पोपशोभितम्: adorned with many flowers
• बहुपुष्पोपशोभितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु-पुष्प-उपशोभित (प्रातिपदिक; बहु + पुष्प + उपशोभित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• ऋक्षसिंहसमाकीर्णम्: filled with bears and lions
• ऋक्षसिंहसमाकीर्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋक्ष-सिंह-समाकीर्ण (प्रातिपदिक; ऋक्ष + सिंह + समाकीर्ण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• नानाव्रतधरैः: by/with those observing various vows
• नानाव्रतधरैः: Karana (Instrument/Association/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना-व्रत-धर (प्रातिपदिक; नाना + व्रत + धर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शुभैः: auspicious, holy
• शुभैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण of नानाव्रतधरैः

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arvāk-tīrtha (descriptive mahatmya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A flowering forest by the river: dense trees and creepers, carpets of blossoms; bears and lions roam at the margins while vow-bearing ascetics move serenely through the grove.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija-vratins (ascetics)
• Forest fauna (bears, lions)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is portrayed as both naturally sanctified and spiritually intensified by the presence of vow-keeping ascetics.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The description applies to the sacred locale reached on the Arvāk-tīrtha/Śūlabheda route along the Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vrata-dhāraṇa (observance of vows) is referenced through the presence of nānā-vrata-dharas.