Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

शूद्र उवाच । महदाश्चर्यमेतद्धि यत्सुरा वृक्षरूपिणः । चातुर्मास्ये समायाते सर्ववृक्षनिवासिनः

Transliteration

śūdra uvāca | mahadāścaryametaddhi yatsurā vṛkṣarūpiṇaḥ | cāturmāsye samāyāte sarvavṛkṣanivāsinaḥ

Translation

ศูทรกล่าวว่า: “น่าอัศจรรย์ยิ่งนัก ที่เหล่าเทวะกลับทรงรูปเป็นต้นไม้ เมื่อจาตุรมาสยะมาถึง พวกท่านสถิตอยู่ในต้นไม้ทั้งปวง”

Word by Word

• शूद्रः: the Śūdra
• शूद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (आश्चर्यम् इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• आश्चर्यम्: wonder, marvel
• आश्चर्यम्: Karta/Predicate nominal (Exclamation content/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta/Predicate nominal (This/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/हेतुवाचक अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative pronoun/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• सुराः: gods
• सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वृक्षरूपिणः: having the form of trees
• वृक्षरूपिणः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृक्ष + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—वृक्षरूपं येषां ते/वृक्षरूपिणः (तत्पुरुष-प्राय)

• चातुर्मास्ये: in the Cāturmāsya period
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समायाते: when it has arrived
• समायाते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• सर्ववृक्षनिवासिनः: dwelling in all trees
• सर्ववृक्षनिवासिनः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + वृक्ष + निवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—सर्वेषु वृक्षेषु निवासिनः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Śūdra (questioner)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Paija-vana (forest episode within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble Śūdra devotee stands with folded hands, eyes widened in wonder, addressing a sage in a forest; behind them, many trees subtly glow, hinting at hidden devas within their trunks during Cāturmāsya.

Characters & Entities

• Cāturmāsya
• Surāḥ (Devas)
• Vṛkṣa (trees)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence toward trees is framed as reverence toward divine presence, especially during the holy Cāturmāsya period.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya in Nāgara Khaṇḍa, though this verse focuses on Cāturmāsya practice rather than a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied prescription: serve and honor trees during Cāturmāsya, recognizing them as abodes of devas.