Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

नवकेसरसौरभ्यबद्धरागिजनोत्सवे । सद्यः कोरकिताशोकतमालगहनांतरे

Transliteration

navakesarasaurabhyabaddharāgijanotsave | sadyaḥ korakitāśokatamālagahanāṃtare

Translation

जिथे नवकेसराच्या सुगंधाने अनुरक्त जनांचा उत्सवच जणू बांधला गेला होता, आणि तमालाच्या दाट वनांत अशोकांना नुकत्याच कळ्या लागल्या होत्या।

Word by Word

• नवकेसरसौरभ्यबद्धरागिजनोत्सवे: (place) where people, captivated by the fragrance of fresh pollen, were in festive delight
• नवकेसरसौरभ्यबद्धरागिजनोत्सवे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव + केसर + सौरभ्य + बद्ध + रागिन् + जन + उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अन्तरे/तस्मिन्); समासः—नव-केसरस्य सौरभ्येन बद्ध-रागिणः जनाः, तेषाम् उत्सवः यस्मिन् (बहुव्रीहि-प्रायः)

• सद्यः: immediately, at once
• सद्यः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक/क्षणवाचक अव्यय (adverb: immediately/at once)

• कोरकिताशोकतमालगहनान्तरे: in the interior of a dense grove of tamāla trees with budded aśokas
• कोरकिताशोकतमालगहनान्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोरकित + अशोक + तमाल + गहन + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कोरकिताः अशोकाः, तमाल-गहनम्, तस्य अन्तरम् (तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration from Adhyāya 14)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A shaded tamāla thicket with newly budded aśoka trees; pollen-like fragrance seems to ripple through the air; small groups of delighted people (or attendants) appear as silhouettes enjoying the spring stir.

Characters & Entities

• Aśoka
• Tamāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas sacralize the natural world, showing how fragrance, bloom, and seasonality can elevate awareness toward dharma and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it continues the scenic build-up for the forthcoming episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.