Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

अमंदामोदमंदारं कोविदारपरिष्कृतम् । चारुचंपकचूताढ्यं प्रोत्फुल्लनवमल्लिकम्

Transliteration

amaṃdāmodamaṃdāraṃ kovidārapariṣkṛtam | cārucaṃpakacūtāḍhyaṃ protphullanavamallikam

Translation

ആ സ്ഥലം ഇടവിടാതെ സുഗന്ധം പരത്തുന്ന മന്ദാരവൃക്ഷങ്ങളാൽ നിറഞ്ഞതും, കോവിദാരപുഷ്പങ്ങളാൽ അലങ്കൃതവുമായതും, മനോഹരമായ ചമ്പകവും മാവും സമൃദ്ധമായതും, പുതുതായി വിരിഞ്ഞ മല്ലിക (മുല്ല) പുഷ്പങ്ങളാൽ ദീപ്തമായതുമായിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• अमन्द: abundant, intense
• अमन्द: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; adjective)

• आमोद: fragrance, delight
• आमोद: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आमोद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासाङ्ग (Masculine, Accusative, Singular; compound member)

• मन्दारम्: mandāra tree (with intense fragrance)
• मन्दारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (अमन्द-आमोद)-मन्दारः कर्मधारयसमासः (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; karmadhāraya compound)

• कोविदार: kovidāra tree
• कोविदार: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोविदार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिकम्; समासपूर्वपद (Masculine stem; compound member)

• परिष्कृतम्: adorned with kovidāra
• परिष्कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + कृ (धातु) → परिष्कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कोविदार-परिष्कृतम् इति तत्पुरुषः (Past participle -kta; Neuter, Accusative, Singular; tatpuruṣa)

• चारु: beautiful
• चारु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चारु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; adjective)

• चम्पक: campaka tree/flower
• चम्पक: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चम्पक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिकम्; समासाङ्ग (Masculine stem; compound member)

• चूत: mango tree
• चूत: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिकम्; समासाङ्ग (Masculine stem; compound member)

• आढ्यम्: rich with campaka and mango
• आढ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; चम्पक-चूत-आढ्यम् इति तत्पुरुषः (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; tatpuruṣa)

• प्रोत्फुल्ल: fully blossomed
• प्रोत्फुल्ल: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + उत् + फल् (धातु) → प्रोत्फुल्ल (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त-भावे/विशेषणे (क्त/क्तवत्-प्राय), प्रातिपदिकम्; समासपूर्वपद (Participial adjective; compound member)

• नव: new, fresh
• नव: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिकम्; समासपूर्वपद (Stem; compound member)

• मल्लिकम्: fresh jasmine (fully blossomed)
• मल्लिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल्लिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; प्रोत्फुल्ल-नव-मल्लिकम् इति कर्मधारयः (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; karmadhāraya)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-Kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred Kāśī grove dense with mandāra, kovidāra, campaka, mango, and fresh jasmine; air visibly ‘perfumed,’ petals scattered, pilgrims moving softly in the background toward a shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Ānandakānana
• Mandāra
• Kovidāra
• Campaka
• Cūta (mango)
• Mallikā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sanctity of Kāśī is conveyed through its divine-natural beauty, suggesting a realm where devotion and auspiciousness bloom together.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandakānana (Ānandavana) in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a māhātmya-style poetic description of the sacred environment.