Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

विकसन्मालतीजालं करवीरविराजितम् । प्रस्फुटत्केतकिवनं प्रोद्यत्कुरबकोर्जितम्

Transliteration

vikasanmālatījālaṃ karavīravirājitam | prasphuṭatketakivanaṃ prodyatkurabakorjitam

Translation

അവിടെ വിരിഞ്ഞ മാലതീ വള്ളികളുടെ ജാലങ്ങൾ വ്യാപിച്ചിരുന്നു; കരവീരപുഷ്പങ്ങൾ കൊണ്ട് അത് ദീപ്തമായിരുന്നു. കേതകീ കാനനങ്ങൾ പ്രസ്ഫുടിച്ച് വിരിഞ്ഞു, പൂർണ്ണോന്മേഷത്തിൽ വിരിഞ്ഞ കുറബകപുഷ്പങ്ങൾ ആ സ്ഥലത്തെ കൂടുതൽ ജീവന്തമാക്കി।

Word by Word

• विकसन्: blooming
• विकसन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + कस् (धातु) → विकसत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्तः (शतृ), प्रातिपदिकम्; समासपूर्वपद (Present participle; compound member)

• मालती: mālatī jasmine
• मालती: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मालती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिकम्; समासाङ्ग (Feminine stem; compound member)

• जालम्: a cluster/net of blooming mālatī
• जालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विकसन्-मालती-जालम् इति तत्पुरुषः (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; tatpuruṣa)

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

• विराजितम्: beautified by oleanders
• विराजितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + राज् (धातु) → विराजित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; करवीर-विराजितम् इति तत्पुरुषः (Past participle -kta; Neuter, Accusative, Singular; tatpuruṣa)

• प्रस्फुटत्: opening, clearly blossoming
• प्रस्फुटत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + स्फुट् (धातु) → प्रस्फुटत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्तः (शतृ), प्रातिपदिकम्; समासपूर्वपद (Present participle; compound member)

• केतकि: ketakī (screw-pine)
• केतकि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केतकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिकम्; समासाङ्ग (Feminine stem; compound member)

• वनम्: a grove of blossoming ketakī
• वनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; प्रस्फुटत्-केतकि-वनम् इति तत्पुरुषः (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; tatpuruṣa)

• प्रोद्यत्: rising, emerging
• प्रोद्यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + उद् + या (धातु) → प्रोद्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्तः (शतृ), प्रातिपदिकम्; समासपूर्वपद (Present participle; compound member)

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

• ऊर्जितम्: strengthened/adorned by emerging kurabaka
• ऊर्जितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ज् (धातु) → ऊर्जित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; प्रोद्यत्-कुरबक-ऊर्जितम् इति तत्पुरुषः (Past participle -kta; Neuter, Accusative, Singular; tatpuruṣa)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-Kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dense lattice of mālatī creepers in bloom, karavīra clusters, ketakī groves with spiky blossoms, and kurabaka flowers; the grove looks like a natural pavilion over a pilgrim path.

Characters & Entities

• Ānandakānana
• Mālatī
• Karavīra
• Ketakī
• Kurabaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The kṣetra’s holiness is expressed through auspicious, flourishing nature—symbolizing spiritual vitality in Śiva’s domain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandakānana/Ānandavana of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated.