Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

पर्णानि ऋजुताराणि जीर्णानि कठिनानि च । साग्राणि स्वर्णवर्णानि स्थूलनीलशिराणि च

Transliteration

parṇāni ṛjutārāṇi jīrṇāni kaṭhināni ca | sāgrāṇi svarṇavarṇāni sthūlanīlaśirāṇi ca

Translation

叶片——挺直而坚实，陈旧而坚硬，尖端分明，色泽如金，并具粗厚的青蓝叶脉——（如是拣择）。

Word by Word

• पर्णानि: leaves
• पर्णानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन

• ऋजुताराणि: straight and sharp/pointed
• ऋजुताराणि: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋजु (प्रातिपदिक) + तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; विशेषण (पर्णानि)

• जीर्णानि: worn/old
• जीर्णानि: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जीर्ण (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (√जॄ/जॄण् ‘to wear out’), विशेषण (पर्णानि)

• कठिनानि: hard
• कठिनानि: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कठिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; विशेषण (पर्णानि)

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

• साग्राणि: with tips/pointed at the end
• साग्राणि: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्ययार्थ ‘with’) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; विशेषण (पर्णानि)

• स्वर्णवर्णानि: gold-colored
• स्वर्णवर्णानि: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वर्णस्य वर्णः), विशेषण (पर्णानि)

• स्थूलनीलशिराणि: having thick blue veins
• स्थूलनीलशिराणि: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थूल (प्रातिपदिक) + नील (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (नीलाः शिराः यस्य, शिरासु स्थूलता), विशेषण (पर्णानि)

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

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close view of ritual leaves being examined—straight, firm, pointed, golden-green with visible blue veins—laid beside other pūjā items in Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Parṇa (leaves)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic ritual culture values careful selection of pure and fitting materials, reflecting attentiveness (śraddhā) in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative is Kāśī-centered, but this verse is a descriptive list of ritual materials.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It specifies qualities of leaves to be used/considered in a rite or offering context.