Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तरुरत्नंपारिजातः स्त्रीरत्नं सोर्वशी त्विह । नंदनं वनरत्नं च रत्नं मंदाकिनी ह्यपाम्

Transliteration

taruratnaṃpārijātaḥ strīratnaṃ sorvaśī tviha | naṃdanaṃ vanaratnaṃ ca ratnaṃ maṃdākinī hyapām

Translation

വൃക്ഷങ്ങളിൽ രത്നം പാരിജാതം; ഇവിടെ സ്ത്രീകളിൽ രത്നം ഉർവശി; വനങ്ങളിൽ രത്നം നന്ദനം; ജലങ്ങളിൽ രത്നം മന്ദാകിനി।

Word by Word

• taru-ratnam: the jewel among trees
• taru-ratnam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taru (प्रातिपदिक) + ratna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (tarūṇāṃ ratnam = jewel among trees)

• pārijātaḥ: Pārijāta (celestial tree)
• pārijātaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārijāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• strī-ratnam: the jewel among women
• strī-ratnam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक) + ratna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (strīṇāṃ ratnam = jewel among women)

• saḥ: she/that one (as stated)
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• urvaśī: Urvaśī
• urvaśī: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: urvaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle: 'but/indeed')

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'here')

• nandanaṃ: Nandana (garden)
• nandanaṃ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nandana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• vana-ratnam: the jewel among forests
• vana-ratnam: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक) + ratna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (vanānāṃ ratnam = jewel among forests)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ratnam: the jewel
• ratnam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• mandākinī: Mandākinī (river)
• mandākinī: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mandākinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/कारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: 'indeed/for')

• apām: of waters
• apām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ap (आप्) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-seeking interlocutor (traditional frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A composite heavenly tableau mapped onto Kāśī: a blossoming Pārijāta tree arches over the ghats; Urvaśī stands with graceful poise holding a lotus; behind, Nandana-like forest glows; a clear Mandākinī stream merges symbolically with the Ganga, suggesting celestial waters present in the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Pārijāta
• Urvaśī
• Nandana
• Mandākinī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred realm is portrayed as containing the very ‘best-of-the-best’—suggesting that devotion in such a place yields unsurpassed merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is being praised through the catalog of celestial jewels traditionally associated with heaven.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it is a māhātmya-style enumeration to inspire pilgrimage and reverence.