Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

नन्दिपुर्यां विरूपाक्षो गौतमः प्लक्षपादपे । माल्यवान्हस्तिनाथे तु द्विजेन्द्रो वाचिके तथा

Transliteration

nandipuryāṃ virūpākṣo gautamaḥ plakṣapādape | mālyavānhastināthe tu dvijendro vācike tathā

Translation

ନନ୍ଦିପୁରୀରେ ସେ ବିରୂପାକ୍ଷ; ପ୍ଲକ୍ଷବୃକ୍ଷତଳେ ଗୌତମ। ହସ୍ତିନାଥେ ମାଲ୍ୟବାନ, ଏବଂ ବାଚିକେ ଦ୍ୱିଜେନ୍ଦ୍ର ଭାବେ ପୂଜିତ॥

Word by Word

• nandipuryām: in Nandipurī
• nandipuryām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nandipurī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण (place-name)

• virūpākṣaḥ: Virūpākṣa
• virūpākṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vi + rūpa + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘विरूपे अक्षिणी यस्य’ (one whose eyes are odd/uneven)

• gautamaḥ: Gautama
• gautamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gautama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम

• plakṣapādape: at Plakṣapādapa
• plakṣapādape: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: plakṣa + pādapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण (place-name/‘at the plakṣa-tree’)

• mālyavān: garlanded; possessing garlands
• mālyavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mālya + vat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वत्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (possessive adjective)

• hastināthe: at Hastinātha
• hastināthe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hastin + nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण (place-name)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• dvijendraḥ: lord of the twice-born (best Brahmin)
• dvijendraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपाधि (‘श्रेष्ठः द्विजानाम्’)

• vācike: in/at Vācika
• vācike: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vācika (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण (place-name)

• tathā: likewise/also
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/रीत्यर्थक (adverb/conjunction: likewise/also)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nandipurī / Plakṣapādapa / Hastinātha / Vācika

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four sanctuaries: Virūpākṣa shrine in a city gate of Nandipurī; a venerable Plakṣa tree with a small altar labeled Gautama; a royal-looking temple at Hastinātha; and a shrine where priests recite Veda at Vācika honoring Dvijendra.

Characters & Entities

• Nandipurī
• Virūpākṣa
• Gautama
• Plakṣa
• Hastinātha
• Mālyavān
• Vācika
• Dvijendra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places, even sacred trees, become living altars where the Divine is approached through specific names tied to local tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nandipurī, the Plakṣa-tree site, Hastinātha, and Vācika are presented as stations of divine presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the mention of a sacred tree implies reverential worship (pūjā) and circumambulation as customary tīrtha practice.