Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

तिलकः सर्व वृक्षाग्र्यः पुत्रवत्परिपालितः । अदित्या सेवितो नित्यं स्वहस्तेन जलैः शुभैः

Transliteration

tilakaḥ sarva vṛkṣāgryaḥ putravatparipālitaḥ | adityā sevito nityaṃ svahastena jalaiḥ śubhaiḥ

Translation

തിലകവൃക്ഷം—സകല വൃക്ഷങ്ങളിലും ശ്രേഷ്ഠം—പുത്രനെപ്പോലെ പരിപാലിക്കപ്പെട്ടു. അദിതി നിത്യം സ്വന്തം കൈകളാൽ മംഗളജലം ഒഴിച്ച് അതിനെ സേവിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• tilakaḥ: Tilaka (tree)
• tilakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tilaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Singular)

• sarvaḥ: all, entire
• sarvaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Singular)

• vṛkṣāgryaḥ: best of trees
• vṛkṣāgryaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + agrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Singular); 'वृक्षेषु अग्र्यः' (best among trees)

• putravat: like a son
• putravat: Sambandha (Manner adjunct/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (adverbial: 'like a son')

• paripālitaḥ: protected, cared for
• paripālitaḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paripālita (कृदन्त; √pāl (धातु) with pari-)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Singular)

• adityā: by Aditi
• adityā: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aditi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• sevitaḥ: served, attended
• sevitaḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sevita (कृदन्त; √sev (धातु))
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Singular)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Sambandha (Temporal adjunct/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always)

• svahastena: with (her) own hand
• svahastena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• jalaiḥ: with waters
• jalaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural)

• śubhaiḥ: auspicious, pure
• śubhaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural); 'जलैः' इति विशेषण (qualifying jala)

Speaker

Pulastya (to a king, addressed as rājan)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tilaka-vṛkṣa-sthāna (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aditi lovingly waters a prominent Tilaka tree with a small vessel; the tree stands majestic, with a subtle divine aura; nearby the spring and rocky cleft hint at the earlier episode.

Characters & Entities

• Aditi
• Tilaka tree

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent care for sacred nature—trees and waters—becomes a form of dharma and devotion that sustains tīrtha sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda-khaṇḍa tīrtha landscape marked by the revered Tilaka tree associated with Aditi’s worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tree-sevā: daily honoring and watering of the sacred tree with pure/auspicious water.