Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 191

Devanagari script

वृक्षगुल्मौषधीश्चैव प्रसह्याशु यथाबलम् । विपर्ययेण चौषध्यः प्रनष्टाश्च चतुर्दश

Transliteration

vṛkṣagulmauṣadhīścaiva prasahyāśu yathābalam | viparyayeṇa cauṣadhyaḥ pranaṣṭāśca caturdaśa

Translation

درختوں، جھاڑیوں اور اوشدھیوں کو انہوں نے اپنی اپنی قوت کے مطابق زبردستی جلد مغلوب کر لیا۔ اور الٹے انجام کے سبب اوشدھیوں کی چودہ قسمیں ناپید ہو گئیں۔

Word by Word

• vṛkṣa-gulma-auṣadhīḥ: trees, shrubs, and herbs
• vṛkṣa-gulma-auṣadhīḥ: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + gulma (प्रातिपदिक) + auṣadhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Emphasis (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• prasahya: forcibly
• prasahya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Manner/Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) ‘प्रसह्य’ = बलात् कृत्वा/सहित्वा; क्रियाविशेषण-भाव

• āśu: quickly
• āśu: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āśu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• yathā-balam: according to (one's) strength
• yathā-balam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial)

• viparyayeṇa: by reversal/contrary change
• viparyayeṇa: Karaṇa/Hetu (Means/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viparyaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular); हेतौ/प्रकारे (by reversal/contrary condition)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• auṣadhyaḥ: herbs
• auṣadhyaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: auṣadhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• pranaṣṭāḥ: were destroyed/perished
• pranaṣṭāḥ: Kriyā (Predicative/State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + naś (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural); auṣadhyaḥ इत्यस्य विशेषण/विधेय

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• caturdaśa: fourteen
• caturdaśa: Saṅkhyā (Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturdaśa (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः (numeral); auṣadhyaḥ इति पदस्य संख्या

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Once-lush groves now trampled; people forcibly taking plants; medicinal herbs wither and vanish; a palpable sense of imbalance and sorrow.

Characters & Entities

• vṛkṣa (trees)
• gulma (shrubs)
• auṣadhi (herbs)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma weakens, disorder appears not only in society but also in nature—vital life-supporting herbs and plants decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is cosmological/ethical rather than a tīrtha-māhātmya passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates a deterioration of the natural order.