Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

जृंभद्विचकिलामोदं लसत्कंकेलिपल्लवम् । नवमल्लीपरिमलाकृष्टषट्पदनादितम्

Transliteration

jṛṃbhadvicakilāmodaṃ lasatkaṃkelipallavam | navamallīparimalākṛṣṭaṣaṭpadanāditam

Translation

അത് വിരിയുന്ന അശോക (വിചകിലാ) പുഷ്പത്തിന്റെ സുഗന്ധത്തിൽ സുവാസിതവും, പുതുമയുള്ള കങ്കേലി പല്ലവങ്ങളിൽ ശോഭിതവും, പുതുതായി വിരിഞ്ഞ മല്ലികയുടെ പരിമളത്തിൽ ആകർഷിതമായ തേൻചീറ്റകളുടെ ഗുഞ്ജാരവത്തിൽ മുഴങ്ങുന്നതുമായിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• जृम्भत्: opening, expanding
• जृम्भत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जृम्भ् (धातु) → जृम्भत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्तः (शतृ), प्रातिपदिकम्; समासपूर्वपद (Present participle; compound member)

• विचकिला: vicakilā (a fragrant flower/creeper)
• विचकिला: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचकिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिकम्; समासाङ्ग (Feminine stem; compound member)

• आमोदम्: fragrance of the opening vicakilā
• आमोदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आमोद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; जृम्भत्-विचकिला-आमोदम् इति तत्पुरुषः (Masculine, Accusative, Singular; tatpuruṣa)

• लसत्: shining, charming
• लसत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लस् (धातु) → लसत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्तः (शतृ), प्रातिपदिकम्; समासपूर्वपद (Present participle; compound member)

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

• पल्लवम्: shining kankeli sprouts
• पल्लवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पल्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; लसत्-कङ्केलि-पल्लवम् इति तत्पुरुषः (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; tatpuruṣa)

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

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

• परिमल: perfume, scent
• परिमल: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिकम्; समासाङ्ग (Masculine stem; compound member)

• आकृष्ट: drawn by the scent of fresh jasmine
• आकृष्ट: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + कृष् (धातु) → आकृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), प्रातिपदिकम्; नव-मल्ली-परिमल-आकृष्ट इति तत्पुरुषः (Past participle -kta; compound member)

• षट्पद: bee (six-footed)
• षट्पद: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिकम्; द्विगुसमासः (षट्+पद) = भ्रमरः; समासाङ्ग (Masculine stem; dvigu compound)

• नादितम्: humming with bees
• नादितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नद् (धातु) → नादित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षट्पद-नादितम् 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: Aśoka blossoms opening, kankeli (aśoka/kankeli-associated) fresh reddish shoots, jasmine newly blooming; bees swirl in visible arcs, suggesting a gentle sacred ‘chorus’ over the grove.

Characters & Entities

• Ānandakānana
• Vicakilā (Aśoka)
• Kaṃkeli
• Mallī
• Ṣaṭpada (bees)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sensory richness of the sacred grove becomes a theological sign: nature itself participates in praising the divine kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandakānana/Ānandavana in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive praise (sthala-māhātmya style).