Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

तथा सुफलिनो वृक्षान्कलपक्षिभिरावृतान् । स्निग्धान्सच्छाययोपेतान्सेवितुं न लभामहे

Transliteration

tathā suphalino vṛkṣānkalapakṣibhirāvṛtān | snigdhānsacchāyayopetānsevituṃ na labhāmahe

Translation

ସେହିପରି ଫଳଭରା ବୃକ୍ଷମାନେ—ପକ୍ଷୀଦଳରେ ଆବୃତ, ସ୍ନିଗ୍ଧ ପଚାପଚି ହରିତ, ମନୋହର ଛାୟାଯୁକ୍ତ—ସେମାନଙ୍କ ତଳେ ବିଶ୍ରାମ କରିବାର ସୁଯୋଗ ମଧ୍ୟ ଆମେ ପାଉନାହୁଁ।

Word by Word

• तथा: also; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• सुफलिनः: bearing good fruit
• सुफलिनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + फलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (वृक्षान् इति विशेष्य)

• वृक्षान्: trees
• वृक्षान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म

• कलपक्षिभिः: by birds (of the kalā/kalaka kind)
• कलपक्षिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल + पक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कल- + पक्षिभिः) करण

• आवृतान्: covered; surrounded
• आवृतान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + √वृ (धातु) → आवृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (वृक्षान्)

• स्निग्धान्: lush; smooth; pleasing
• स्निग्धान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्निग्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• सत्: good
• सत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पूर्वपद (उपपद) ‘सच्छाया’ इत्यत्र; ‘good’

• छायया: with shade
• छायया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण

• उपेतान्: endowed; possessed
• उपेतान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + √इ (धातु) → उपेत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘endowed with’

• सेवितुम्: to enjoy; to resort to
• सेवितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सेव् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (infinitive) — ‘to enjoy/serve/visit’

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• लभामहे: we obtain; we are able to get
• लभामहे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Preta(s) (departed spirits) addressing the king

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A verdant grove with fruit-laden trees alive with birds; beneath, cool shade lies empty while exhausted travelers stand outside the shade-line, unable to rest.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Without proper dharmic support and merit, beings in a preta-state experience deprivation even of simple comforts like shade and rest.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya context; the specific tīrtha is not named in this single shloka excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated here; it prepares the ground for rites that relieve pretas (e.g., śrāddha, piṇḍadāna) discussed nearby.