Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

धनदोऽक्षोटकं वृक्षं रुद्राश्च बदरीद्रुमम् । सप्तर्षीणां महाताला बहुलश्चामरैर्वृतः

Transliteration

dhanado'kṣoṭakaṃ vṛkṣaṃ rudrāśca badarīdrumam | saptarṣīṇāṃ mahātālā bahulaścāmarairvṛtaḥ

Translation

ท้าวธนท (กุเบร) สถิตในต้นอักษโฏตกะ (วอลนัต); เหล่ารุทรสถิตในต้นบะดะรี. สำหรับฤๅษีทั้งเจ็ดมีต้นตาลอันยิ่งใหญ่ และบหุละถูกโอบล้อมด้วยจามระ (พัดหางจามรี).

Word by Word

• धनदः: Dhanada (Kubera)
• धनदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• अक्षोटकम्: walnut tree
• अक्षोटकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षोटक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• वृक्षम्: tree
• वृक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• रुद्राः: Rudras
• रुद्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• बदरीद्रुमम्: jujube tree (badarī)
• बदरीद्रुमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बदरी + द्रुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बदर्याः द्रुमः)

• सप्तर्षीणाम्: of the seven sages
• सप्तर्षीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (सप्त ऋषयः)

• महातालाः: great palmyra trees
• महातालाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + ताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् तालः)

• बहुलः: abundant, many
• बहुलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (abundant/many)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• अमरैः: by/with the immortals (gods)
• अमरैः: Sahakari (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/सह), बहुवचन

• वृतः: surrounded
• वृतः: Kriya (Predicate adjective/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे; ‘surrounded’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bahula (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grove tableau: Kubera’s presence in a walnut-like akṣoṭaka, multiple Rudras shimmering within a badarī tree, the Saptarṣis sanctifying a towering tāla palm; Bahula shown as a revered figure or locus, fanned by cāmaras.

Characters & Entities

• Dhanada (Kubera)
• Rudras
• Saptarṣi
• Bahula
• Akṣoṭaka tree
• Badarī tree
• Tāla palm
• Cāmara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha is presented as a living sacred network where deities and sages are intimately connected with specific trees, inviting devotional reverence for the environment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse contributes to the Nāgara-khaṇḍa’s general tīrtha-māhātmya framework through tree-abode teachings; no single site-name is specified here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual action is stated; it supplies sacred correspondences useful for worship, circumambulation, and protection of such trees.