Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तिलकान्बकुलांश्चैव बहूनपि च पुष्पितान् । क्षेत्राणि कलनाभानि पिञ्जराणि विदर्शयन्

Transliteration

tilakānbakulāṃścaiva bahūnapi ca puṣpitān | kṣetrāṇi kalanābhāni piñjarāṇi vidarśayan

Translation

അവൻ (അവൾക്ക്) പുഷ്പിതമായ അനവധി തിലകവും ബകുലവും വൃക്ഷങ്ങൾ കാണിച്ചു; കൂടാതെ എവിടെയോ നീലാഭവും എവിടെയോ പിഞ്ചര-സ്വർണഛായയും തോന്നുന്ന വയലുകളും കാണിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• तिलकान्: tilaka trees
• तिलकान्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिलक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• बकुलान्: bakula trees
• बकुलान्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (and)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (indeed/just)

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Karman (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• अपि: also
• अपि: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (also)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• पुष्पितान्: flowering
• पुष्पितान्: Karman (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्पित (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (in bloom/flowering)

• क्षेत्राणि: fields
• क्षेत्राणि: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कलनाभानि: of kalanābha-like appearance
• कलनाभानि: Karman (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कलनाभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (having the appearance of ‘kalā-nābha’/spider-like?; here: of a certain look)

• पिञ्जराणि: tawny
• पिञ्जराणि: Karman (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिञ्जर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (tawny/reddish)

• विदर्शयन्: showing
• विदर्शयन्: Karta (Subject; participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-दृश् (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘showing’

Speaker

Sūta (narrative voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aerial or elevated viewpoint: a guide shows a companion rows of tilaka and bakula trees heavy with blossoms; below, patchwork fields shimmer in dark-blue and tawny-gold bands, suggesting ripening grain and moist earth.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pārvatī
• tilaka (tree)
• bakula
• kṣetra (fields)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is not only a point on a map; it is an experienced sacred landscape where beauty and fertility mirror spiritual merit (puṇya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the approach description; the riverbank and grove are explicitly named next.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated in this verse.