Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

पैजवन उवाच । श्रीः कथं तुलसीरूपा बिल्ववृक्षे च पार्वती । एतच्च विस्तरेण त्वं मुने तत्त्वं वद प्रभो

Transliteration

paijavana uvāca | śrīḥ kathaṃ tulasīrūpā bilvavṛkṣe ca pārvatī | etacca vistareṇa tvaṃ mune tattvaṃ vada prabho

Translation

പൈജവനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ശ്രീ എങ്ങനെ തുളസീരൂപയായി വിരാജിക്കുന്നു? ബിൽവവൃക്ഷത്തിൽ പാർവതി എങ്ങനെ (നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു)? ഹേ മുനേ, ഈ തത്ത്വം എനിക്ക് വിശദമായി പറയുക, പ്രഭോ.

Word by Word

• पैजवनः: Paijavana
• पैजवनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पैजवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• श्रीः: Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• श्रीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• तुलसीरूपा: having the form of Tulasī
• तुलसीरूपा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुलसी + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• बिल्ववृक्षे: in/on the bilva tree
• बिल्ववृक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल्व + वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पार्वती: Pārvatī
• पार्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एतत्: this (matter)
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and/also
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle/conjunction)

• विस्तरेण: in detail
• विस्तरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (instrumental of manner)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• तत्त्वम्: the truth
• तत्त्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वद: tell/speak
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• प्रभो: O lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Paijavana

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Paijavana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Paijavana respectfully questions sage Gālava in an āśrama; between them are a thriving tulasī plant and a bilva tree, subtly radiating Śrī and Pārvatī’s presence.

Characters & Entities

• Paijavana
• Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• Tulasī
• Pārvatī
• Bilva tree

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred plants are not merely symbolic; Purāṇic tradition sees them as embodiments of divine presence worthy of reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The inquiry belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya narrative stream in Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription—this verse initiates a doctrinal explanation that supports tulasī/bilva worship.