Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अक्षैः प्लक्षैः शल्लकीभिर्देवदारुहरिद्रुमैः । सदाफलसदापुष्प वृक्षवल्लीविराजितम्

Transliteration

akṣaiḥ plakṣaiḥ śallakībhirdevadāruharidrumaiḥ | sadāphalasadāpuṣpa vṛkṣavallīvirājitam

Translation

അക്ഷ, പ്ലക്ഷ, ശല്ലകീ, ദേവദാരു മുതലായ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ വൃക്ഷങ്ങളാൽ അത് അലങ്കരിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരുന്നു; സദാ ഫലം തരുകയും സദാ പുഷ്പിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്ന വൃക്ഷ-വള്ളികളുടെ ശോഭയിൽ ആ പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രം നിരന്തരം മംഗളമയമായി തിളങ്ങി।

Word by Word

• akṣaiḥ: with akṣa-trees
• akṣaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (वृक्षनाम), तृतीया (3rd) बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• plakṣaiḥ: with plakṣa-trees
• plakṣaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: plakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd) बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• śallakībhiḥ: with śallakī-trees
• śallakībhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śallakī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd) बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• devadāru-haridrumaiḥ: with deodar and turmeric-trees
• devadāru-haridrumaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devadāru (प्रातिपदिक) + haridru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमासः (इतरेतर), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd) बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• sadā-phala-sadā-puṣpa: ever-fruited, ever-flowering
• sadā-phala-sadā-puṣpa: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sadā (अव्यय) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + sadā (अव्यय) + puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमासः (बहुपद: ‘सदा फलानि यस्य/यत्र’ ‘सदा पुष्पाणि यस्य/यत्र’), विशेषणरूपेण (अव्ययपूर्वपद), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्गे समासान्त-प्रयोगः

• vṛkṣa-vallī-virājitam: adorned with trees and creepers
• vṛkṣa-vallī-virājitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + vallī (प्रातिपदिक) + virājita (कृदन्त; √rāj धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (‘वृक्षैः वल्ल्याः च विराजितम्’—समाहारार्थे), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन — accusative singular

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant sacred landscape adorned with akṣa, plakṣa, śallakī, deodars and noble trees; creepers and trees are shown perpetually in blossom and fruit, creating an evergreen, timeless Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Akṣa
• Plakṣa
• Śallakī
• Devadāru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Perpetual fruit and bloom symbolize inexhaustible merit—Kāśī is presented as an ever-auspicious field for dharma and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), described as a perpetually flourishing sacred kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes the continuous auspiciousness that supports pilgrimage and devotion.