Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अमंदैः पिचुमंदैश्च मंदारैः कोविदारकैः । पाटलातिंतिणीघोंटाशाखोटैः करहाटकैः

Transliteration

amaṃdaiḥ picumaṃdaiśca maṃdāraiḥ kovidārakaiḥ | pāṭalātiṃtiṇīghoṃṭāśākhoṭaiḥ karahāṭakaiḥ

Translation

அந்த புண்ணிய நிலம் அமந்த, பிச்சுமந்த, மந்தார, கோவிதார; மேலும் பாடலா, திந்திணீ, கோண்டா, சாகோட, கரஹாடக ஆகிய பல மரங்களால் நிரம்பி மிக மங்களகரமாகத் தோன்றியது।

Word by Word

• amaṃdaiḥ: with amaṃda-trees
• amaṃdaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amaṃda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (वृक्षनाम), तृतीया (3rd) बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• picumaṃdaiḥ: with picumaṃda-trees
• picumaṃdaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: picumaṃda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (वृक्षनाम), तृतीया (3rd) बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• ca: and
• ca: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• maṃdāraiḥ: with mandāra-trees
• maṃdāraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃdāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd) बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• kovidārakaiḥ: with kovidāraka-trees
• kovidārakaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kovidāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd) बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• pāṭalā-tiṃtiṇī-ghoṃṭā-śākhoṭaiḥ: with pāṭalā, tiṃtiṇī, ghoṃṭā, and śākhoṭa (trees)
• pāṭalā-tiṃtiṇī-ghoṃṭā-śākhoṭaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṭalā (प्रातिपदिक) + tiṃtiṇī (प्रातिपदिक) + ghoṃṭā (प्रातिपदिक) + śākhoṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमासः (इतरेतर), तृतीया (3rd) बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• karahāṭakaiḥ: with karahāṭaka-trees
• karahāṭakaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karahāṭaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (वृक्षनाम), तृतीया (3rd) बहुवचन — instrumental plural

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dense, auspicious grove in Kāśī filled with many named trees—amanda, picumanda, mandāra, kovidāra, pāṭalā, tiṃtiṇī, ghoṃṭā, śākhoṭa, karahāṭaka—forming a living garland around the holy ground.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Mandāra
• Kovidāra
• Pāṭalā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sanctity of Kāśī is expressed through abundance and auspicious biodiversity—holiness permeates the visible world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised through its sacred groves and tree-lined environs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a māhātmya-style catalogue of auspicious flora.