Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

पुन्नागमिव पुन्नागपल्लवैःकरपल्लवैः । कलयंतमिवाऽलोलैर्मल्लिकास्तबकस्तनम्

Transliteration

punnāgamiva punnāgapallavaiḥkarapallavaiḥ | kalayaṃtamivā'lolairmallikāstabakastanam

Translation

புன்னாக மரம் தன் மென்மையான தளிர்-கைகளால், அசையாமல், மல்லிகை (மல்லி) மலர்த் தொகுதி-மார்புகளைத் தொடுவதுபோல் தோன்றியது।

Word by Word

• पुन्नागम्: punnāga tree
• पुन्नागम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुन्नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, accusative singular)

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• पुन्नागपल्लवैः: with punnāga shoots
• पुन्नागपल्लवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुन्नागपल्लव (प्रातिपदिक) = पुन्नाग + पल्लव
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष—पुन्नागस्य पल्लवाः

• करपल्लवैः: with hand-shoots (hands like sprouts)
• करपल्लवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करपल्लव (प्रातिपदिक) = कर + पल्लव
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental plural); कर्मधारय—कराः एव पल्लवाः (hands like tender shoots)

• कलयन्तम्: touching/arranging, caressing
• कलयन्तम्: Kriya (Verbal qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कल् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masc acc sg)

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• अलोलैः: with unshaking/steady (ones)
• अलोलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलोल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental plural); विशेषणम्

• मल्लिकास्तबकस्तनम्: a breast like a jasmine cluster
• मल्लिकास्तबकस्तनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल्लिका-स्तबक-स्तन (प्रातिपदिक) = मल्लिका + स्तबक + स्तन
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, accusative singular); समासः—मल्लिकायाः स्तबकः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष + स्तनः (स्तबकवत् स्तनः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A punnāga tree extends tender shoots like hands toward jasmine clusters, as if caressing them; the scene is still, intimate, and fragrant, like a devotional offering enacted by plants.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• punnāga
• mallikā (jasmine)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic māhātmya uses refined imagery to show Kāśī as a realm of auspicious harmony—beauty mirrors sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sacred gardens/vanas within the kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.