Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

कण्टकीबदरीप्रायं शाल्मलीवनसंकुलम् । तथान्यैः कण्टकाकीर्णै रूक्षै र्वृक्षैः समन्वितम्

Transliteration

kaṇṭakībadarīprāyaṃ śālmalīvanasaṃkulam | tathānyaiḥ kaṇṭakākīrṇai rūkṣai rvṛkṣaiḥ samanvitam

Translation

وہ علاقہ کانٹوں والی بدری (بیری) کی جھاڑیوں جیسا تھا، شالمَلی کے گھنے جھنڈ سے بھرا ہوا؛ اور دیگر سخت، کانٹوں سے اٹے ہوئے درختوں سے بھی گھرا ہوا تھا۔

Word by Word

• कण्टकीबदरीप्रायम्: mostly of thorny jujube (trees)
• कण्टकीबदरीप्रायम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कण्टकी (प्रातिपदिक) + बदरी (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (neuter, nominative/accusative singular; adjective)

• शाल्मलीवनसंकुलम्: dense with śālmali-groves
• शाल्मलीवनसंकुलम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाल्मली (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक) + संकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (neuter, nominative/accusative singular; adjective)

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषणम्/समुच्चयार्थे (indeclinable; adverb/conjunctive ‘also/and so’)

• अन्यैः: by/with other (trees)
• अन्यैः: Karana (Instrument/association)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (masc/neut, instrumental plural; adjective)

• कण्टकाकीर्णैः: strewn with thorns
• कण्टकाकीर्णैः: Karana (Instrument/association)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कण्टक (प्रातिपदिक) + आकीर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (masc/neut, instrumental plural; adjective)

• रूक्षैः: dry, rough
• रूक्षैः: Karana (Instrument/association)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (masc/neut, instrumental plural; adjective)

• वृक्षैः: with trees
• वृक्षैः: Karana (Instrument/association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental plural)

• समन्वितम्: endowed/filled (with)
• समन्वितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अन्वि (धातु) → समन्वित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (past participle -ta; neuter nom/acc sg; adjective)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A thorn-choked badarī scrubland with dense śālmalī groves; jagged branches, dry earth, and a narrow path hinting at an unseen sacred destination.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The difficult landscape symbolizes the austerity and trial often preceding contact with a tīrtha, where hardship becomes the doorway to purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it provides topographical buildup for the tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.