Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अधस्तात्प्लक्षवृक्षस्य दर्भस्थानैः समंततः । कालशाकैस्तथानेकैस्तिलैश्चारण्यसंभवैः

Transliteration

adhastātplakṣavṛkṣasya darbhasthānaiḥ samaṃtataḥ | kālaśākaistathānekaistilaiścāraṇyasaṃbhavaiḥ

Translation

پلکش کے درخت کے نیچے، چاروں طرف دربھہ گھاس کے ٹکڑے ہیں؛ اور بہت سے کالشاک کے پودے ہیں، نیز جنگل میں اُگنے والے جنگلی تل بھی ہیں۔

Word by Word

• अधस्तात्: below
• अधस्तात्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• प्लक्षवृक्षस्य: of the plakṣa tree
• प्लक्षवृक्षस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्लक्ष-वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; प्लक्ष + वृक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• दर्भस्थानैः: by/with darbha-places (patches of darbha)
• दर्भस्थानैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ-स्थान (प्रातिपदिक; दर्भ + स्थान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• समन्ततः: Adhikarana (Spatial extent/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परितोऽर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: all around)

• कालशाकैः: with black/dark leafy vegetables
• कालशाकैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल-शाक (प्रातिपदिक; काल + शाक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/उपपद (adverb: likewise/and)

• अनेकैः: many
• अनेकैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• तिलैः: with sesame seeds
• तिलैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

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

• आरण्यसंभवैः: arising from the forest / forest-grown
• आरण्यसंभवैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आरण्य-सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक; आरण्य + सम्भव)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (तिलैः इत्यस्य)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual; likely Sūta’s narration within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Plakṣa-mūla tīrtha-zone (within Hāṭakeśvara kṣetra)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene grove scene: a large plakṣa tree with rings of darbha grass, clusters of leafy greens, and scattered wild sesame plants—quietly indicating a śrāddha-ready spot.

Characters & Entities

• Plakṣa tree (plakṣavṛkṣa)
• Darbha grass (darbha)
• Kālaśāka
• Sesame (tila)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are recognized by their ritual-readiness—nature itself provides the proper offerings for pitṛ-rites, indicating a tīrtha’s potency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha marked by a plakṣa tree and associated ritual spot (later connected with a famed kūpikā/well in this adhyāya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse identifies the key śrāddha materials available at the site: darbha grass, kālaśāka greens, and wild/forest-born sesame (tila).