Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

तिलकः सर्व वृक्षाग्र्यः पुत्रवत्परिपालितः । अदित्या सेवितो नित्यं स्वहस्तेन जलैः शुभैः

Transliteration

tilakaḥ sarva vṛkṣāgryaḥ putravatparipālitaḥ | adityā sevito nityaṃ svahastena jalaiḥ śubhaiḥ

Translation

تلک کا درخت—تمام درختوں میں برتر—بیٹے کی طرح پرورش کیا گیا۔ ادیتی روزانہ اپنے ہی ہاتھ سے مبارک پانیوں کے ساتھ اس کی خدمت کرتی اور اسے سیراب کرتی تھی۔

Word by Word

• tilakaḥ: Tilaka (tree)
• tilakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tilaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Singular)

• sarvaḥ: all, entire
• sarvaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Singular)

• vṛkṣāgryaḥ: best of trees
• vṛkṣāgryaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + agrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Singular); 'वृक्षेषु अग्र्यः' (best among trees)

• putravat: like a son
• putravat: Sambandha (Manner adjunct/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (adverbial: 'like a son')

• paripālitaḥ: protected, cared for
• paripālitaḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paripālita (कृदन्त; √pāl (धातु) with pari-)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Singular)

• adityā: by Aditi
• adityā: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aditi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• sevitaḥ: served, attended
• sevitaḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sevita (कृदन्त; √sev (धातु))
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Singular)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Sambandha (Temporal adjunct/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always)

• svahastena: with (her) own hand
• svahastena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• jalaiḥ: with waters
• jalaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural)

• śubhaiḥ: auspicious, pure
• śubhaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural); 'जलैः' इति विशेषण (qualifying jala)

Speaker

Pulastya (to a king, addressed as rājan)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tilaka-vṛkṣa-sthāna (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aditi lovingly waters a prominent Tilaka tree with a small vessel; the tree stands majestic, with a subtle divine aura; nearby the spring and rocky cleft hint at the earlier episode.

Characters & Entities

• Aditi
• Tilaka tree

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent care for sacred nature—trees and waters—becomes a form of dharma and devotion that sustains tīrtha sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda-khaṇḍa tīrtha landscape marked by the revered Tilaka tree associated with Aditi’s worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tree-sevā: daily honoring and watering of the sacred tree with pure/auspicious water.