Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

सर्वर्तं कुसुमाढ्यं च रसवत्फलपादपम् । सुसेव्य कंदमूलाढ्यं सुवल्कलमहीरुहम्

Transliteration

sarvartaṃ kusumāḍhyaṃ ca rasavatphalapādapam | susevya kaṃdamūlāḍhyaṃ suvalkalamahīruham

Translation

ആ വനം എല്ലാ ഋതുക്കളിലും പുഷ്പസമൃദ്ധവും, രസമുള്ള ഫലങ്ങൾ തരുന്ന വൃക്ഷങ്ങളാൽ നിറഞ്ഞതുമായിരുന്നു; സമീപിക്കാൻ എളുപ്പം, കന്ദമൂലങ്ങൾ ധാരാളം, ഉത്തമ വൽക്കലധാരികളായ മഹാവൃക്ഷങ്ങൾ നിറഞ്ഞിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• sarva-ṛtum: (bearing) in all seasons
• sarva-ṛtum: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛtu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (sarveṣu ṛtuṣu = in all seasons / all-season) विशेषण

• kusuma-āḍhyam: abundant with flowers
• kusuma-āḍhyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kusuma (प्रातिपदिक) + āḍhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (kusumaiḥ āḍhyam = rich in flowers)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• rasavat-phala-pādapam: tree with juicy fruits
• rasavat-phala-pādapam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rasavat (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + pādapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (rasavatāni phalāni yasya saḥ pādapaḥ = tree with juicy fruits)

• su-sevyam: very pleasant to resort to
• su-sevyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + sevya (सेव्य, √sev धातु सेव्य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; यत्/ण्यत्-अर्थे सेव्य (fit to be served/visited), विशेषण

• kaṃda-mūla-āḍhyam: rich in tubers and roots
• kaṃda-mūla-āḍhyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaṃda (प्रातिपदिक) + mūla (प्रातिपदिक) + āḍhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (kaṃda-mūlaiḥ āḍhyam = rich in roots and tubers)

• su-valkala-mahīruham: a great tree with fine bark
• su-valkala-mahīruham: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suvalkala (प्रातिपदिक) + mahīruha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (suvalkalaḥ mahīruhaḥ = a great tree with fine bark)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Skandavana

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luxuriant sacred forest in perpetual bloom: flowering canopies, fruit-laden branches, hermit-friendly paths, and trees with pale bark like natural garments.

Characters & Entities

• Skandavana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred place is portrayed as dharma-supporting: it naturally sustains worship, tapas, and pilgrimage through its purity and abundance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Skandavana—the revered forest/grove associated with Skanda.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse functions as a māhātmya-style glorification of the sacred environment.