Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

तिष्ठंति च प्रवालेषु पुष्पभारावनादिषु । रुवंति मधुरालापाः षट्पदा मधुलिप्सवः

Transliteration

tiṣṭhaṃti ca pravāleṣu puṣpabhārāvanādiṣu | ruvaṃti madhurālāpāḥ ṣaṭpadā madhulipsavaḥ

Translation

ते कोवळ्या पल्लवांवर आणि पुष्पभाराने नतमस्तक झालेल्या उपवनांत थांबत; मधाची आस धरलेले भुंगे मधुर आलाप करीत गुणगुणत असत।

Word by Word

• तिष्ठन्ति: they stand / stay
• तिष्ठन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (स्था)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• प्रवालेषु: on tender shoots
• प्रवालेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pravāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• पुष्पभारावनादिषु: among flower-laden groves and the like
• पुष्पभारावनादिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa + bhāra + avana + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; समाहार-तत्पुरुष/समास (पुष्पभार-आवन-आदि = flower-loads, groves etc.; 'आदि' समुच्चयार्थ)

• रुवन्ति: they hum / make sound
• रुवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ru (रु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• मधुरालापाः: sweet-sounding
• मधुरालापाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madhura + ālāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (मधुरः आलापः येषाम्/sweet-humming)

• षट्पदाः: bees
• षट्पदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ + pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (bee)

• मधुलिप्सवः: desiring honey
• मधुलिप्सवः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madhu + lipsu (कृदन्त; desiderative adj. from √labh/√lip?)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मधुं लिप्सवः = desiring honey); 'लिप्सु' इच्छार्थक-कृदन्त (desiderative adjective)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bees cluster on tender reddish shoots and blossom-heavy groves, hovering and humming in sweet tones; petals and fragrance saturate the air.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya
• Ṣaṭpada (bees)
• Madhu (honey)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The kṣetra’s sweetness is portrayed as tangible—bees and honey symbolize the ‘rasa’ of dharma that naturally draws living beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, praised through its blossom-laden groves and honey-seeking bees.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is an evocative māhātmya description rather than a direct injunction.