Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

यत्र वृक्षा ह्लादयंति फलैः पुष्पैश्च पत्रकैः । छायाभिरपि काष्ठैश्च लोकानिव हरव्रताः

Transliteration

yatra vṛkṣā hlādayaṃti phalaiḥ puṣpaiśca patrakaiḥ | chāyābhirapi kāṣṭhaiśca lokāniva haravratāḥ

Translation

Nơi ấy, cây cối đem niềm hoan hỷ bằng trái, hoa và lá; bằng bóng mát, và cả bằng gỗ của mình—tựa như những người sùng kính giữ hạnh nguyện dâng Hara (Śiva), lợi ích cho muôn loài theo mọi cách.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locus marker/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb): ‘where’

• वृक्षाः: trees
• वृक्षाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; ‘trees’

• ह्लादयन्ति: delight
• ह्लादयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ह्लाद् (धातु) → ह्लादयति (णिच्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘they delight’

• फलैः: with fruits
• फलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; ‘with fruits’

• पुष्पैः: with flowers
• पुष्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; ‘with flowers’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction): ‘and’

• पत्रकैः: with leaves
• पत्रकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; ‘with leaves’

• छायाभिः: with shade
• छायाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; ‘with shades’

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण/समुच्चयार्थ (particle): ‘also/even’

• काष्ठैः: with wood
• काष्ठैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; ‘with wood’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction): ‘and’

• लोकान्: people
• लोकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; ‘people/worlds’

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparative marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमावाचक (comparative particle): ‘like/as’

• हर: of Hara (Śiva)
• हर: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: हरस्य व्रतम्; first member stem

• व्रताः: devotees/observers of Hara’s vow
• व्रताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; समासपद: हर-व्रताः ‘those devoted to Hara’s vow/observance’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), as narrator within Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Majestic trees offering shade to travelers and sages; people resting beneath; offerings of fruits and flowers; in the background, Śiva-vratins serving others—distributing food, guiding pilgrims, gathering fallen wood for sacred fires without harming trees.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)
• Haravratāḥ (Śiva-vowed devotees)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotees of Śiva serve like sacred trees—offering benefit in multiple forms, expecting nothing in return.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A particular tīrtha is not named; the verse glorifies the dharmic landscape of a sage’s hermitage as inherently sacred.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; it upholds haravrata (Śiva-oriented vow/discipline) as an ideal of selfless service.