Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

उदतिष्ठत्समीपे मे तस्माद्बिल्वो भवत्वयम् । इमं वृक्षं समासाद्य भक्तितः पत्रसंचयम्

Transliteration

udatiṣṭhatsamīpe me tasmādbilvo bhavatvayam | imaṃ vṛkṣaṃ samāsādya bhaktitaḥ patrasaṃcayam

Translation

“हा माझ्या समीप उगवला आहे, म्हणून याचे नाव ‘बिल्व’ असो. या वृक्षाजवळ भक्तिभावाने जाऊन याच्या पानांचा संचय करावा…”

Word by Word

• उदतिष्ठत्: arose/stood up
• उदतिष्ठत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+स्था (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• समीपे: near
• समीपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मे: of me / my
• मे: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• बिल्वः: bilva tree
• बिल्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भवतु: let it be/become
• भवतु: Kriya (Injunctive/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वृक्षम्: tree
• वृक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समासाद्य: having approached
• समासाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+सद् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), ‘having approached/attained’

• भक्तितः: with devotion
• भक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative) एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (adverbial: ‘out of devotion/with devotion’)

• पत्रसंचयम्: a collection of leaves
• पत्रसंचयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्र + संचय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पत्राणां संचयः)

Speaker

Pārvatī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bilva-vṛkṣa (sacred bilva tree)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī names the tree ‘Bilva’ because it rose near her; she instructs devotees to approach it with bhakti and gather its leaves as a sacred collection for worship.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Bilva tree
• bilva leaves

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through simple offerings—like sacred leaves—becomes a direct path to grace in holy places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The bilva-tree tīrtha-context in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, where the tree’s very presence near Devī sanctifies the locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Approach the bilva tree with bhakti and collect its leaves for worship/offering.