Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

विजयश्चापि माहात्म्यमिदं जानन्महामतिः । आनर्च वटवृक्षस्थां भक्तितो वटयक्षिणीम्

Transliteration

vijayaścāpi māhātmyamidaṃ jānanmahāmatiḥ | ānarca vaṭavṛkṣasthāṃ bhaktito vaṭayakṣiṇīm

Translation

Виджая также — человек великого разумения, знавший величие этого священного повествования — с преданностью почитал якшини, обитавшую в баньяновом дереве.

Word by Word

• vijayaḥ: Vijaya
• vijayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vijaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अपि)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि = 'also/even' (particle)

• māhātmyam: the greatness/glory
• māhātmyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• idam: this
• idam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — सर्वनाम; विशेषण

• jānan: knowing
• jānan: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (ज्ञा धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ) → jānan (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन

• mahāmatiḥ: the great-minded one
• mahāmatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (महा) + mati (मति) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ānarca: worshipped
• ānarca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + √arc (अर्च् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vaṭavṛkṣasthām: situated in the banyan tree
• vaṭavṛkṣasthām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaṭa (वट) + vṛkṣa (वृक्ष) + sthā (स्था) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वटवृक्षे स्था); स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• bhaktitaḥ: devoutly
• bhaktitaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय; प्रकार/हेतुवाचक (from devotion/devoutly)

• vaṭayakṣiṇīm: the banyan-yakṣiṇī
• vaṭayakṣiṇīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaṭa (वट) + yakṣiṇī (यक्षिणी) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaṭavṛkṣa-sthā Vaṭayakṣiṇī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vijaya, portrayed as a thoughtful pilgrim, stands before the banyan and worships the yakṣiṇī with composed devotion, suggesting he has learned the shrine’s greatness.

Characters & Entities

• Vijaya
• Vaṭayakṣiṇī (banyan Yakṣiṇī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowing a place’s or tradition’s māhātmya should culminate in humble, devoted worship—bhakti expressed through honoring the sacred presence at the site.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights a sacred banyan-tree locus (vaṭavṛkṣa) with an indwelling guardian Yakṣiṇī; the precise named tīrtha is not stated in this single verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes/depicts arcana (worship/honoring) performed with devotion to the Vaṭayakṣiṇī residing in the banyan tree.