Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

पलाशफलन्यग्रोधप्लक्षाश्वत्थविकंकताः । औदुम्बरस्तथा बिल्वं चंदनं यज्ञियाश्च ये

Transliteration

palāśaphalanyagrodhaplakṣāśvatthavikaṃkatāḥ | audumbarastathā bilvaṃ caṃdanaṃ yajñiyāśca ye

Translation

Palāśa, gỗ phala, nyagrodha, plakṣa, aśvattha, vikaṅkata, audumbara, bilva, gỗ đàn hương, và những loại gỗ thích hợp cho tế lễ—đều được tán dương để dùng trong nghi lễ.

Word by Word

• पलाशफलन्यग्रोधप्लक्षाश्वत्थविकङ्कताः: palāśa, fruit(-tree), banyan, plakṣa, aśvattha, and vikankata (trees)
• पलाशफलन्यग्रोधप्लक्षाश्वत्थविकङ्कताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पलाश (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + न्यग्रोध (प्रातिपदिक) + प्लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + अश्वत्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + विकङ्कत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• औदुम्बरः: udumbara (fig tree)
• औदुम्बरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औदुम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तथा: and also; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—समुच्चय/अन्वयार्थक (conjunctive adverb: 'also/likewise')

• बिल्वम्: bilva (bael tree)
• बिल्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• चन्दनम्: sandalwood
• चन्दनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यज्ञियाः: fit for sacrifice; sacrificial
• यज्ञियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज्ञिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (adjective)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction 'and')

• ये: which; those that
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual workshop scene: artisans and priests selecting logs/leaves from named trees; each tree shown with distinctive leaves—palāśa trifoliate, banyan (nyagrodha) aerial roots, aśvattha heart-shaped leaves, bilva trifoliate, sandalwood paste—arranged like a sacred inventory.

Characters & Entities

• Palāśa
• Nyagrodha
• Plakṣa
• Aśvattha
• Vikaṅkata
• Audumbara
• Bilva
• Candana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Nature is integrated into dharma: certain trees are treated as ‘yajñiya’ and therefore appropriate supports for sacred action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, within whose māhātmya the correct selection of ritual woods is taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A catalog of woods/trees is given as suitable for sacred use (yajñiya), forming a guideline for selecting ritual materials.