Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

सर्वर्तुकुसुमाकीर्णनानौषधिविदिपितम् । नानाधातुरसस्राविचित्रनानागृहाश्रयम्

Transliteration

sarvartukusumākīrṇanānauṣadhividipitam | nānādhāturasasrāvicitranānāgṛhāśrayam

Translation

അത് സർവഋതുക്കളിലെ പുഷ്പങ്ങളാൽ നിറഞ്ഞതും, നാനാവിധ ഔഷധസസ്യങ്ങളാൽ സമൃദ്ധവുമായിരുന്നു. നാനാധാതുരസധാരകളാൽ വിചിത്രമായി, പല ഗുഹാ-ശിലാഗൃഹങ്ങൾക്കും ആശ്രയമായിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• सर्व-ऋतु-कुसुम-आकीर्ण-नाना-औषधि-विदिपितम्: strewn with flowers of all seasons and adorned with various herbs
• सर्व-ऋतु-कुसुम-आकीर्ण-नाना-औषधि-विदिपितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + ऋतु + कुसुम + आकीर्ण (आ + √कॄ/√कीर्, क्त) + नाना + औषधि + विदिपित (वि + √दिप्/√दीप्, क्त; अर्थः: सुशोभित/प्रकाशित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (समाहारवर्णन), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त अङ्ग (आकीर्ण/विदिपित)

• नाना-धातु-रस-स्रावि-चित्र-नाना-गृह-आश्रयम्: having shelters of many wondrous houses, with various mineral-juices oozing
• नाना-धातु-रस-स्रावि-चित्र-नाना-गृह-आश्रयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना + धातु + रस + स्रावि (√स्रु, णिनि/इन्-प्रत्ययान्त: oozing) + चित्र + नाना + गृह + आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (descriptive), स्रावि-विशेषणान्त

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pāriyātra-giri kandarā (multi-guhā-āśraya)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience/ṛṣis (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lush mountain-cave complex: perpetual seasonal flowers carpeting the ground, dense medicinal herbs, shimmering mineral-laden rivulets, and many rock shelters—an enchanted yet naturalistic ascetic refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Pāriyātra (mountain)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are portrayed as dharma-sustaining landscapes—abundant, healing, and fit for spiritual striving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The natural sanctity of the Pāriyātra mountain region is celebrated as a refuge for ascetics.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated; the verse functions as a mahātmya-style description of a tapas-friendly sacred terrain.