Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

दृश्यते यदि पालाशः प्रातरुत्थाय मानवैः । नरकानाशु निर्धूय गम्यते परमं पदम्

Transliteration

dṛśyate yadi pālāśaḥ prātarutthāya mānavaiḥ | narakānāśu nirdhūya gamyate paramaṃ padam

Translation

หากมนุษย์ตื่นขึ้นยามเช้าแล้วได้เห็นต้นปาลาศะ เขาย่อมสลัดสภาวะนรกโดยเร็ว และบรรลุปรมบทอันสูงสุด

Word by Word

• दृश्यते: is seen
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive: 'is seen')

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• पालाशः: the palāśa (tree)
• पालाशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पालाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st), एकवचन

• प्रातर्: in the morning
• प्रातर्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातर् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• उत्थाय: having risen
• उत्थाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + स्था (धातु) → उत्थाय (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having risen)

• मानवैः: by people
• मानवैः: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd), बहुवचन; करण (agent in passive)

• नरकान्: hells
• नरकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• निर्धूय: having shaken off
• निर्धूय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + धू (धातु) → निर्धूय (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having shaken off/removed)

• गम्यते: is attained
• गम्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive: 'is gone/attained')

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• पदम्: state/abode
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

Speaker

Vāṇī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Palāśa-darśana (Brahma-vṛkṣa context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn, villagers/pilgrims rise and gaze upon a blooming palāśa; the red-orange blossoms glow like fire, symbolizing the burning away of naraka-states.

Characters & Entities

• Palāśa
• Naraka
• Paramaṃ Padam

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even darśana (sacred seeing) done with faith is purifying; reverent contact with the sacred dispels heavy negativity and leads toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse glorifies the palāśa as a sanctifying presence within tīrtha culture, without naming a particular pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A morning practice: rising early and taking darśana of the palāśa.