Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 191
Devanagari script
वृक्षगुल्मौषधीश्चैव प्रसह्याशु यथाबलम् । विपर्ययेण चौषध्यः प्रनष्टाश्च चतुर्दश
Transliteration
vṛkṣagulmauṣadhīścaiva prasahyāśu yathābalam | viparyayeṇa cauṣadhyaḥ pranaṣṭāśca caturdaśa
Translation
树木、灌木与诸般药草，皆依各自之力而迅速被制伏；又因乖逆的颠倒，十四类药草遂告毁灭。
Word by Word
vṛkṣa-gulma-auṣadhīḥtrees, shrubs, and herbs
vṛkṣa-gulma-auṣadhīḥ:
Karma (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootvṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + gulma (प्रातिपदिक) + auṣadhi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (plural)
caand
ca:
Samuccaya (Conjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय (conjunction)
evaindeed
eva:
Emphasis (Nipāta)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
Formअवधारण (emphatic particle)
prasahyaforcibly
prasahya:
Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Manner/Prior action)
TypeVerb
Rootsah (धातु)
Formक्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) ‘प्रसह्य’ = बलात् कृत्वा/सहित्वा; क्रियाविशेषण-भाव
āśuquickly
āśu:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootāśu (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)
yathā-balamaccording to (one's) strength
yathā-balam:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyathā (अव्यय) + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial)
viparyayeṇaby reversal/contrary change
viparyayeṇa:
Karaṇa/Hetu (Means/Cause)
TypeNoun
Rootviparyaya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular); हेतौ/प्रकारे (by reversal/contrary condition)
caand
ca:
Samuccaya (Conjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय (conjunction)
auṣadhyaḥherbs
auṣadhyaḥ:
Karta (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootauṣadhi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)
pranaṣṭāḥwere destroyed/perished
pranaṣṭāḥ:
Kriyā (Predicative/State)
TypeVerb
Rootpra + naś (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural); auṣadhyaḥ इत्यस्य विशेषण/विधेय
caand
ca:
Samuccaya (Conjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय (conjunction)
caturdaśafourteen
caturdaśa:
Saṅkhyā (Numeral qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootcaturdaśa (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः (numeral); auṣadhyaḥ इति पदस्य संख्या
Speaker
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Once-lush groves now trampled; people forcibly taking plants; medicinal herbs wither and vanish; a palpable sense of imbalance and sorrow.
Characters & Entities
V
vṛkṣa (trees)G
gulma (shrubs)A
auṣadhi (herbs)FAQs
When dharma weakens, disorder appears not only in society but also in nature—vital life-supporting herbs and plants decline.
None; the verse is cosmological/ethical rather than a tīrtha-māhātmya passage.
None; it narrates a deterioration of the natural order.