Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

नानाद्रुमलताकीर्णं नानावल्लीभिरावृतम् । सपुष्पं फलितं कान्तं वनं चैत्ररथं यथा

Transliteration

nānādrumalatākīrṇaṃ nānāvallībhirāvṛtam | sapuṣpaṃ phalitaṃ kāntaṃ vanaṃ caitrarathaṃ yathā

Translation

ਉਹ ਮਨੋਹਰ ਵਨ ਅਨੇਕਾਂ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਰ ਦੇ ਵ੍ਰਿਖਾਂ ਤੇ ਲਤਾਵਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਛਿਤਰਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ, ਨਾਨਾ ਵੱਲੀਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਢੱਕਿਆ, ਪੁਸ਼ਪਿਤ ਤੇ ਫਲਿਤ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਕਾਂਤਿਮਾਨ ਸੀ; ਜਿਵੇਂ ਪ੍ਰਸਿੱਧ ਚੈਤਰਰਥ ਉਪਵਨ।

Word by Word

• नाना: various
• नाना: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, नानात्ववाचक (adverb: ‘various’)

• द्रुमलताकीर्णम्: strewn/filled with trees and creepers
• द्रुमलताकीर्णम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रुम (प्रातिपदिक) + लता (प्रातिपदिक) + √कॄ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘कीर्ण’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (द्रुम-लता) इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वसमासः + कीर्णम्

• नाना: various
• नाना: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, नानात्ववाचक (adverb: ‘various’)

• वल्लीभिः: by creepers/vines
• वल्लीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्ली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• आवृतम्: covered
• आवृतम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√वृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सपुष्पम्: with flowers
• सपुष्पम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्गसदृश/समासपूर्वपद) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः (‘स’ = ‘सहित’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• फलितम्: bearing fruit
• फलितम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √फल् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कान्तम्: lovely
• कान्तम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• चैत्ररथम्: Caitraratha (the divine grove)
• चैत्ररथम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्ररथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (उपमान/नाम)

• यथा: as/like
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparator/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमानवाचक (comparative particle: ‘as/like’)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra vana (Caitraratha-upamā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant forest thick with trees and creepers, every branch flowering and fruiting, with an otherworldly glow suggesting Caitraratha; pilgrims pause in awe as light filters through vines.

Characters & Entities

• Vana (forest)
• Caitraratha (grove)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma and tapas permeate a place, the earthly landscape mirrors celestial sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred forest (tapovana) in the Vindhya region, praised as comparable to Caitraratha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a laudatory description establishing the holiness of the locale.