Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

आनर्तविषये चास्ति वनं मुनिजनाश्रयम् । मनोज्ञं सर्वसत्त्वानां सर्वर्तुफलितद्रुमम्

Transliteration

ānartaviṣaye cāsti vanaṃ munijanāśrayam | manojñaṃ sarvasattvānāṃ sarvartuphalitadrumam

Translation

ആനർത്ത ദേശത്തിൽ മുനിജനങ്ങളുടെ ആശ്രയമായ ഒരു വനമുണ്ട്; അത് എല്ലാ ജീവികൾക്കും മനോഹരം, അവിടെയുള്ള വൃക്ഷങ്ങൾ എല്ലാ ഋതുക്കളിലും ഫലഭരിതങ്ങളാണ്।

Word by Word

• ānarta-viṣaye: in the Ānarta region
• ānarta-viṣaye: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānarta (प्रातिपदिक) + viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन (in the Ānarta region)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (and)

• asti: there is
• asti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन (there is)

• vanam: a forest
• vanam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (here: प्रथमा as subject)

• muni-jana-āśrayam: a refuge for sages
• muni-jana-āśrayam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + jana (प्रातिपदिक) + āśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; वनस्य विशेषणम् (a refuge of sages)

• manojñam: delightful
• manojñam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: manojña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; वनस्य विशेषणम् (pleasing)

• sarva-sattvānām: of all beings
• sarva-sattvānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + sattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; बहुवचन (of all beings)

• sarva-ṛtu-phalita-drumam: with trees fruiting in all seasons
• sarva-ṛtu-phalita-drumam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛtu (प्रातिपदिक) + phalita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + druma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; वनस्य विशेषणम् (having trees bearing fruit in all seasons)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānarta-vanam (unnamed sage-forest)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lush forest in Ānarta: sages’ hermitages with thatched huts, deer and birds unafraid, trees laden with fruits of multiple seasons simultaneously (mango blossoms, ripe figs, pomegranates), a clear path suggesting a pilgrimage approach.

Characters & Entities

• Ānarta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy landscapes are portrayed as naturally auspicious, supporting tapas, learning, and the flourishing of life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Ānarta region is introduced as the sacred setting; a specific tīrtha is not yet named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive prelude establishing the sanctified environment for forthcoming teachings.