Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

गन्धर्वा मलयं वृक्षमगुरुं गणनायकः । समुद्रा वेतसं वृक्षं यक्षा पुन्नागमेव च

Transliteration

gandharvā malayaṃ vṛkṣamaguruṃ gaṇanāyakaḥ | samudrā vetasaṃ vṛkṣaṃ yakṣā punnāgameva ca

Translation

ഗന്ധർവർ മലയം വൃക്ഷത്തിൽ, ഗണനായകൻ (ഗണേശൻ) അഗുരു വൃക്ഷത്തിൽ അധിവസിക്കുന്നു. സമുദ്രങ്ങൾ വേതസ വൃക്ഷത്തിൽ, യക്ഷർ പുന്നാഗ വൃക്ഷത്തിലും ആശ്രയിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• गन्धर्वाः: Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन — ‘Gandharvas’

• मलयम्: Malaya (tree/wood)
• मलयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — object (tree/wood named Malaya; also sandal-region)

• वृक्षम्: tree
• वृक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — appositional object with ‘मलयम्’

• अगुरुम्: aguru (aloeswood)
• अगुरुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘aguru’ (aloeswood)

• गणनायकः: Gaṇanāyaka (Gaṇeśa)
• गणनायकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक) + नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘गणानां नायकः’ (leader of the gaṇas; Gaṇeśa)

• समुद्राः: oceans
• समुद्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन — ‘oceans’

• वेतसम्: vetasa (reed/willow)
• वेतसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेतस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘vetasa’ (reed/willow)

• वृक्षम्: tree
• वृक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — appositional object with ‘वेतसम्’

• यक्षाः: Yakṣas
• यक्षाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन — ‘Yakṣas’

• पुन्नागम्: punnāga tree
• पुन्नागम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुन्नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘punnāga’ tree

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — अवधारण (emphasis): ‘indeed/just’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction): ‘and’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred grove tableau: Gandharvas subtly musical within the malaya tree; Gaṇeśa enthroned in fragrant aguru; the oceans personified resting in vetasa reeds; Yakṣas guarding a blooming punnāga.

Characters & Entities

• Gandharvas
• Gaṇanāyaka (Gaṇeśa)
• Samudras (Oceans)
• Yakṣas
• Malaya tree
• Aguru tree
• Vetasa tree
• Punnāga tree

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are mapped not only by rivers and shrines but also by living trees, understood as abodes of divine and semi-divine beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage functions as tīrtha-ecology within the Nāgara-khaṇḍa; it sanctifies particular trees as divine abodes rather than naming a single tīrtha here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed in this verse; it supports reverence and protection of these trees as spiritually charged presences.