Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्मध्ये महावृक्षो न्यग्रोधश्च सुशोभनः । बहुपक्षिसमायुक्तः कोकिलारावनादितः

Transliteration

tasminmadhye mahāvṛkṣo nyagrodhaśca suśobhanaḥ | bahupakṣisamāyuktaḥ kokilārāvanāditaḥ

Translation

അതിന്റെ മദ്ധ്യത്തിൽ ഒരു മഹാവൃക്ഷം—അത്യന്തം ശോഭനമായ ന്യഗ്രോധം (വടവൃക്ഷം)—നിന്നിരുന്നു. അനവധി പക്ഷികളാൽ നിറഞ്ഞ അത് കൂകിലകളുടെ കൂജനത്തോടെ മധുരമായി മുഴങ്ങിക്കൊണ്ടിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that (place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘मध्ये’ = in the middle

• महावृक्षः: a great tree
• महावृक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—महान् वृक्षः

• न्यग्रोधः: a banyan (nyagrodha)
• न्यग्रोधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यग्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; महावृक्षस्य विशेष्य-नाम

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

• सु-शोभनः: very beautiful
• सु-शोभनः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (न्यग्रोधः) — अतिशयेन शोभनः

• बहु-पक्षि-समायुक्तः: joined/filled with many birds
• बहु-पक्षि-समायुक्तः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु + पक्षिन् + सम्-आ-युक्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (न्यग्रोधः); समासः—बहुभिः पक्षिभिः समायुक्तः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• कोकिला-राव-नादितः: made resonant by cuckoos’ calls
• कोकिला-राव-नादितः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोकिला + राव + नादित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (न्यग्रोधः); समासः—कोकिलानां रावेन नादितः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Revā Khaṇḍa; speaker not explicit in excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (central vaṭa/nyagrodha-sthala)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand banyan dominates the grove’s center, aerial roots descending like pillars; many birds perch and flutter; cuckoo calls seem to ripple through the canopy.

Characters & Entities

• Nyagrodha (banyan)
• Kokila (cuckoo)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred place is recognized by auspicious centers—like a venerable banyan—where life gathers and the atmosphere becomes naturally devotional.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa’s tīrtha setting, portrayed as a sanctified grove with a central nyagrodha tree.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a tīrtha landscape depiction.