Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

कण्टकीबदरीप्रायं शाल्मलीवनसंकुलम् । तथान्यैः कण्टकाकीर्णै रूक्षै र्वृक्षैः समन्वितम्

Transliteration

kaṇṭakībadarīprāyaṃ śālmalīvanasaṃkulam | tathānyaiḥ kaṇṭakākīrṇai rūkṣai rvṛkṣaiḥ samanvitam

Translation

ആ പ്രദേശം മിക്കവാറും മുള്ളുള്ള ബദരീച്ചെടികളാൽ നിറഞ്ഞതും, ശാല്മലീ വൃക്ഷങ്ങളുടെ ഘനവനത്താൽ സമ്പുഷ്ടവുമായതും, മറ്റു പല രൂക്ഷമായ മുള്ളേറിയ വൃക്ഷങ്ങളാലും കൂടിയതുമായിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• कण्टकीबदरीप्रायम्: mostly of thorny jujube (trees)
• कण्टकीबदरीप्रायम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कण्टकी (प्रातिपदिक) + बदरी (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (neuter, nominative/accusative singular; adjective)

• शाल्मलीवनसंकुलम्: dense with śālmali-groves
• शाल्मलीवनसंकुलम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाल्मली (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक) + संकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (neuter, nominative/accusative singular; adjective)

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषणम्/समुच्चयार्थे (indeclinable; adverb/conjunctive ‘also/and so’)

• अन्यैः: by/with other (trees)
• अन्यैः: Karana (Instrument/association)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (masc/neut, instrumental plural; adjective)

• कण्टकाकीर्णैः: strewn with thorns
• कण्टकाकीर्णैः: Karana (Instrument/association)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कण्टक (प्रातिपदिक) + आकीर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (masc/neut, instrumental plural; adjective)

• रूक्षैः: dry, rough
• रूक्षैः: Karana (Instrument/association)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (masc/neut, instrumental plural; adjective)

• वृक्षैः: with trees
• वृक्षैः: Karana (Instrument/association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental plural)

• समन्वितम्: endowed/filled (with)
• समन्वितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अन्वि (धातु) → समन्वित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (past participle -ta; neuter nom/acc sg; adjective)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A thorn-choked badarī scrubland with dense śālmalī groves; jagged branches, dry earth, and a narrow path hinting at an unseen sacred destination.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The difficult landscape symbolizes the austerity and trial often preceding contact with a tīrtha, where hardship becomes the doorway to purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it provides topographical buildup for the tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.