Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा स दीनस्य दयान्वितः । जगाम तत्र यत्राऽस्ते स वृक्षः प्लक्षसंज्ञकः

Transliteration

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā sa dīnasya dayānvitaḥ | jagāma tatra yatrā'ste sa vṛkṣaḥ plakṣasaṃjñakaḥ

Translation

ครั้นได้ฟังถ้อยคำนั้น เขาผู้เปี่ยมด้วยเมตตาต่อผู้ทุกข์ยาก ก็ไปยังสถานที่ที่ต้นไม้ซึ่งเรียกว่า “ปลักษะ” ตั้งอยู่

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• वचनम्: speech/words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दीनस्य: of the wretched one
• दीनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तस्य इत्यर्थे)

• दया-अन्वितः: endowed with compassion
• दया-अन्वितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दया-अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; दया + अन्वित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सः इत्यस्य)

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• आस्ते: stands/is situated
• आस्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• सः: that
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वृक्षः: tree
• वृक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्लक्षसंज्ञकः: named ‘Plakṣa’
• प्लक्षसंज्ञकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्लक्ष-संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक; प्लक्ष + संज्ञक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वृक्षः इत्यस्य)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual; likely Sūta’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Plakṣa-vṛkṣa-sthāna (Hāṭakeśvara kṣetra)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, softened by compassion, walks toward a prominent plakṣa tree in a sacred grove; the atmosphere shifts from dialogue to purposeful pilgrimage action.

Characters & Entities

• Plakṣa tree (plakṣavṛkṣa)
• Compassion (dayā)
• Distressed being (dīna / likely preta-context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma begins with empathy—compassion motivates pilgrimage and ritual action that benefits both living and departed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The locality of the plakṣa tree, a defining sacred marker for the ensuing rite and the tīrtha’s fame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse sets the narrative step: going to the prescribed spot (the plakṣa tree) to carry out the requested śrāddha.