Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

प्रविवेश शमीगर्भमश्वत्थं तरुसत्तमम् । तत्रस्थो द्विपराज्ञा स कथितो विबुधान्प्रति

Transliteration

praviveśa śamīgarbhamaśvatthaṃ tarusattamam | tatrastho dviparājñā sa kathito vibudhānprati

Translation

Он вошёл в лоно дерева Шами — в Ашваттху, лучшую из деревьев. Пока он пребывал там, царь слонов сообщил об этом богам.

Word by Word

• प्रविवेश: entered
• प्रविवेश: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• शमी-गर्भम्: the interior/womb of the śamī tree
• शमी-गर्भम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शमी (प्रातिपदिक) + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अश्वत्थम्: the aśvattha (sacred fig)
• अश्वत्थम्: Karman (Apposition/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तरु-सत्तमम्: the best of trees
• तरु-सत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तरु (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying अश्वत्थम्)

• तत्रस्थः: standing there; situated there
• तत्रस्थः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of स/वह्निः)

• द्विप-राज्ञा: by the king of elephants
• द्विप-राज्ञा: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विप (प्रातिपदिक) + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कथितः: was told; was reported
• कथितः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (सः)

• विबुधान्: the gods; the wise
• विबुधान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विबुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रति: towards; to
• प्रति: Sampradana/Direction (प्रति-योग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-निपात (preposition)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-parvata tīrtha (contextual)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni, subtle and radiant, slips into the ‘womb’ of a śamī that is also described as an aśvattha; nearby, the elephant-king signals the devas, pointing to the tree as a hiding-place.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Śamī
• Aśvattha
• King of Elephants (Dvipa-rāja)
• Devas (Vibudhas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine is encountered through sacred nature; trees and landscapes become carriers of hidden spiritual presence in sthala-māhātmya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda’s sacred ecology—its revered trees and environs—forms part of the māhātmya backdrop.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse highlights sacred trees (Śamī, Aśvattha) often associated with worship and auspiciousness.