Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

एवं चान्वेषमाणेन तेन भूमिभृता तदा । सुदूरादेव संदृष्टं नीलद्रुमकदम्बकम्

Transliteration

evaṃ cānveṣamāṇena tena bhūmibhṛtā tadā | sudūrādeva saṃdṛṣṭaṃ nīladrumakadambakam

Translation

Habang naghahanap siya nang gayon, nakita ng pinuno ng lupain mula sa malayo ang isang kumpol ng mga punong kadamba na may madilim na bughaw na mga punò.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

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

• अन्वेषमाणेन: by (him) searching
• अन्वेषमाणेन: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-इष् (धातु) + शानच् → अन्वेषमाण (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle); तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सम्भव (contextually masculine)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• भूमिभृता: by the king (earth-bearer)
• भूमिभृता: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + भृत् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) → भूमिभृत् (समास/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भूमेः भृत् = earth-bearer); पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• सुदूरात्: from very far away
• सुदूरात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुदूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (ablatival adverb); स्थानवाचक (from a great distance)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• संदृष्टम्: seen, sighted
• संदृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-दृश् (धातु) + क्त → संदृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नीलद्रुमकदम्बकम्: a grove/cluster of blue trees
• नीलद्रुमकदम्बकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रुम (प्रातिपदिक) + कदम्बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास (नीलद्रुमकदम्बक = cluster/grove of blue(-hued) trees); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (within Sūta's narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary king scanning the landscape; far off, a dense cluster of kadamba trees with unusually dark-blue trunks stands out against the lighter forest, hinting at hidden water nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Kurukṣetra (context)
• Kadamba grove

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic sacred geography treats nature as a guide—groves and trees become auspicious markers leading seekers toward holy presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha is specified in this verse; it describes an auspicious grove encountered during the Kurukṣetra search.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.