Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

त्वचि गौरी समाख्याता अपर्णा मध्यवल्कले । पुष्पे दुर्गा समाख्याता उमा शाखांगकेषु च

Transliteration

tvaci gaurī samākhyātā aparṇā madhyavalkale | puṣpe durgā samākhyātā umā śākhāṃgakeṣu ca

Translation

തൊലിയിൽ അവൾ ഗൗരിയായി പ്രസിദ്ധ, തൊലിയുടെ ഉള്ള്പാളിയിൽ അപർണാ. പുഷ്പത്തിൽ ദുർഗയായി, ശാഖാ-ഉപശാഖകളിൽ ഉമയായി വിരാജിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• त्वचि: in the bark/skin
• त्वचि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; feminine locative singular

• गौरी: Gaurī
• गौरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; feminine nominative singular

• समाख्याता: is called
• समाख्याता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+ख्या (धातु) → समाख्यात (कृदन्त) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; passive participle used predicatively: ‘is called/named’

• अपर्णा: Aparṇā
• अपर्णा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर्णा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; feminine nominative singular

• मध्यवल्कले: in the inner bark
• मध्यवल्कले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य-वल्कल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; neuter locative singular; ‘in the inner bark’

• पुष्पे: in the flower
• पुष्पे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; neuter locative singular

• दुर्गा: Durgā
• दुर्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; feminine nominative singular

• समाख्याता: is called
• समाख्याता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+ख्या (धातु) → समाख्यात (कृदन्त) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; passive participle used predicatively: ‘is called/named’

• उमा: Umā
• उमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; feminine nominative singular

• शाखाङ्गकेषु: in the branchlets
• शाखाङ्गकेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाखा-अङ्गक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; neuter locative plural; ‘in the branchlets/limbs of branches’

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

Speaker

Narrator within Brahma–Nārada dialogue (contextual attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up devotional visualization: textured bark glowing as Gaurī, inner bark as austere Aparṇā, blossoms radiating as Durgā, tender twigs as Umā; worshippers touch bark respectfully and offer flowers.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī
• Aparṇā
• Durgā
• Umā
• Devī (Goddess)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devī’s immanence is affirmed: worship of nature (Bilva) becomes worship of the Goddess in her many names.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra is the broader sacred setting in Nāgarakhaṇḍa where this Bilva-māhātmya is taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It supports Bilva-upacāra: offering flowers/leaves and honoring the tree as Devī during vrata and pūjā.