Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

प्लक्षोदुंबरखर्जूरी बीजपूरी सदाडिमी । दंतकाष्ठ द्रुमा एते व्रतिनः समुदाहृताः

Transliteration

plakṣoduṃbarakharjūrī bījapūrī sadāḍimī | daṃtakāṣṭha drumā ete vratinaḥ samudāhṛtāḥ

Translation

പ്ലക്ഷ, ഉദുംബര, ഖർജൂരി, ബീജപൂരി, ദാഡിമി—ഇവ വ്രതികൾക്കായി ദന്തകാഷ്ഠ വൃക്ഷങ്ങളായി പ്രസ്താവിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• प्लक्षोदुम्बरखर्जूरी: plakṣa, udumbara, and kharjūrī
• प्लक्षोदुम्बरखर्जूरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्लक्ष + उदुम्बर + खर्जूरी (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (list as a set)

• बीजपूरी: bījapūrī (citron)
• बीजपूरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज + पूरी (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; दन्तकाष्ठद्रुमनाम

• सदाडिमी: sadāḍimī (a variety of pomegranate)
• सदाडिमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + दाडिमी (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (सदा दाडिमी) इति नामरूपम्

• दन्तकाष्ठ: tooth-stick
• दन्तकाष्ठ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासपदम् (tooth-stick)

• द्रुमाः: trees
• द्रुमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• एते: these
• एते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम; विशेषणम्

• व्रतिनः: of the vow-observer
• व्रतिनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम्; (of the observer)

• समुदाहृताः: are declared/mentioned
• समुदाहृताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उद् + आ + हृ (धातु) → समुदाहृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (are declared/mentioned)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pulomajā (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A neat arrangement of five twigs/fruits/leaves representing plakṣa, udumbara, date-palm, citron, and pomegranate; a vratin selects one at dawn, with a small shrine and lamp nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Plakṣa
• Udumbara
• Kharjūrī
• Bījapūrī
• Dāḍima (pomegranate)
• Dantakāṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even small acts of bodily purity are integrated into dharma when performed as part of a vow.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred setting of these vrata instructions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Approved trees for dantakāṣṭha during vrata: plakṣa, udumbara, date-palm, citron, and pomegranate.