Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

चिक्रीडुस्तत्र महिषा निपतंति जलाशये । यत्र स्थाने सुपुष्पाणां प्रकरः प्रचुरोऽभवत्

Transliteration

cikrīḍustatra mahiṣā nipataṃti jalāśaye | yatra sthāne supuṣpāṇāṃ prakaraḥ pracuro'bhavat

Translation

ഇപ്പോൾ അവിടെ ജലാശയത്തിൽ പോത്തുകൾ കളിച്ചുല്ലസിച്ച് ചാടിവീഴുന്നു—ഒരിക്കൽ മനോഹര പുഷ്പങ്ങളുടെ സമൃദ്ധി നിറഞ്ഞിരുന്ന അതേ സ്ഥലത്ത്.

Word by Word

• cikrīḍuḥ: played, sported
• cikrīḍuḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √krīḍ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• mahiṣāḥ: buffaloes
• mahiṣāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• nipatanti: fall, plunge
• nipatanti: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√pat (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• jalāśaye: in the water-reservoir
• jalāśaye: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jalāśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (jala + āśaya); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक/देशवाचक अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• sthāne: in the place
• sthāne: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• supuṣpāṇām: of beautiful flowers
• supuṣpāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su + puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘सु’ उपसर्ग/उपपद-विशेषणार्थ

• prakaraḥ: a heap, mass
• prakaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• pracuraḥ: abundant
• pracuraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pracura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of prakaraḥ)

• abhavat: was, became
• abhavat: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Dharmāraṇya-kṣetra Adhidevatā (the presiding deity of Dharmāraṇya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dīrghikā / associated jalāśaya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rāma

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A once-flowering bank now trampled; buffaloes half-submerged, splashing muddy water; ghosted overlay of earlier profuse blossoms and garland-makers; stark before/after contrast.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Jalāśaya (water-reservoir)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred beauty is sustained by dharmic presence and worship; neglect follows when fear and adharma prevail.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The jalāśaya/Dīrghikā area within Dharmāraṇya-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse contrasts former sacred abundance with present neglect.