Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

वटप्लक्षैः समायुक्तमश्वत्थाम्रैश्च वेष्टितम् । चक्रवाकसमोपतं बकसारसटिट्टिभैः

Transliteration

vaṭaplakṣaiḥ samāyuktamaśvatthāmraiśca veṣṭitam | cakravākasamopataṃ bakasārasaṭiṭṭibhaiḥ

Translation

അത് വടവും പ്ലക്ഷവൃക്ഷങ്ങളുംകൊണ്ട് സമന്വിതം; അശ്വത്ഥവും മാവുംകൊണ്ട് ചുറ്റപ്പെട്ടത്; ചക്രവാകങ്ങൾ, കൊക്കുകൾ, സാരസങ്ങൾ, ടിറ്റ്ടിഭ പക്ഷികൾ എന്നിവകൊണ്ട് ശോഭിതം.

Word by Word

• वट: banyan trees
• वट: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन — समासपूर्वपद

• प्लक्षैः: with plakṣa trees
• प्लक्षैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-बहुवचन (Instrumental plural)

• समायुक्तम्: well furnished/associated
• समायुक्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि-क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन

• अश्वत्थ: aśvattha (peepal) trees
• अश्वत्थ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन — समासपूर्वपद

• आम्रैः: with mango trees
• आम्रैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आम्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-बहुवचन (Instrumental plural)

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

• वेष्टितम्: surrounded, encircled
• वेष्टितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेष्ट् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि-क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन

• चक्रवाक: cakravāka birds
• चक्रवाक: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रवाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन — समासपूर्वपद

• समोपतम्: frequented/approached
• समोपतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + उप + पत् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि-क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन

• बक: herons/cranes
• बक: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन — समासपूर्वपद

• सारस: cranes (sārasa)
• सारस: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन — समासपूर्वपद

• टिट्टिभैः: with sandpipers/ṭiṭṭibha birds
• टिट्टिभैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: टिट्टिभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-बहुवचन (Instrumental plural)

Speaker

Vyāsa (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇyaka-sarovara (contextual)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa/bhūmipa (king) in the running narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lake encircled by banyan and plakṣa, with aśvattha and mango trees forming a green garland; pairs of cakravākas float near lotus patches; herons, cranes, and sandpipers line the shore.

Characters & Entities

• Vaṭa (banyan)
• Plakṣa
• Aśvattha
• Āmra (mango)
• Cakravāka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are portrayed as sanctified habitats—trees and birds become signs of auspiciousness and serenity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya sarovara and its surrounding sacred grove.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; such descriptions traditionally support pilgrimage, circumambulation, and contemplative worship.