Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

बकुलैः कोविदारैश्च दाडिमैरुपशोभितम् । पुष्पितैरर्जुनैश्चैव बिल्वपाटलकेतकैः

Transliteration

bakulaiḥ kovidāraiśca dāḍimairupaśobhitam | puṣpitairarjunaiścaiva bilvapāṭalaketakaiḥ

Translation

ସେ ଆଶ୍ରମ ବକୁଳ, କୋବିଦାର ଓ ଦାଡିମ (ଡାଳିମ୍ବ) ବୃକ୍ଷରେ ଅଧିକ ଶୋଭିତ ଥିଲା; ଏବଂ ପୁଷ୍ପିତ ଅର୍ଜୁନ, ବିଲ୍ୱ, ପାଟଳ ଓ କେତକୀ ବୃକ୍ଷରେ ମଧ୍ୟ।

Word by Word

• बकुलैः: with bakula trees
• बकुलैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; वृक्ष-विशेषाः

• कोविदारैः: with kovidāra trees
• कोविदारैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोविदार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; वृक्ष-विशेषाः

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

• दाडिमैः: with pomegranate trees
• दाडिमैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाडिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; वृक्ष-विशेषाः (pomegranate)

• उपशोभितम्: adorned/beautified
• उपशोभितम्: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुभ् (धातु) + उप (उपसर्ग) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (आश्रमम्) उपशोभितम् = शोभितम्

• पुष्पितैः: flowering
• पुष्पितैः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्पित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘अर्जुनैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण (in bloom)

• अर्जुनैः: with arjuna trees
• अर्जुनैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; वृक्ष-विशेषाः

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

• एव: also/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/indeed)

• बिल्वपाटलकेतकैः: with bilva, pāṭala, and ketaka (trees)
• बिल्वपाटलकेतकैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाटल (प्रातिपदिक) + केतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (बिल्वाश्च पाटलाश्च केतकाः च)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual deduction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close botanical detailing: bakula and kovidāra blossoms, pomegranate fruits, arjuna in flower, bilva leaves, pāṭala and ketaka blooms framing an āśrama courtyard; a visual hymn to auspicious vegetation.

Characters & Entities

• Bakula
• Kovidāra
• Dāḍima
• Arjuna
• Bilva
• Pāṭala
• Ketaka
• Āśrama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are portrayed as harmonies of dharma and nature—beauty itself becomes a sign of accumulated puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same holy āśrama/forest in the Vindhya landscape of the Revākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; however, the mention of bilva evokes Śaiva worship associations within Purāṇic culture.