Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

वनानि मागधादीनि पुष्कराणि द्विजोत्तम । शैलराजादयः शैला हिमाद्रिप्रमुखा हि ये

Transliteration

vanāni māgadhādīni puṣkarāṇi dvijottama | śailarājādayaḥ śailā himādripramukhā hi ye

Translation

婆罗门中最胜者啊，自摩揭陀起的诸林、诸圣补湿迦罗，以及诸大山——山王舍罗罗阇与以喜马陀利（喜马拉雅）为首的群峰——一切皆摄入所称扬的圣洁之中。

Word by Word

• वनानि: forests
• वनानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• मागधादीनि: Magadha and others
• मागधादीनि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मागध + आदि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’प्रत्ययार्थक-समास (etc.-ending)

• पुष्कराणि: Puṣkaras (sacred lakes/places named Puṣkara)
• पुष्कराणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of the twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• शैलराजादयः: Śailarāja and others
• शैलराजादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैलराज + आदि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’प्रत्ययार्थक-समास

• शैलाः: mountains
• शैलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• हिमाद्रिप्रमुखाः: with Himālaya as foremost
• हिमाद्रिप्रमुखाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिमाद्रि + प्रमुख (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• ये: which/that (those)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Śrī Kṛṣṇa (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (implied) in relation to all vanas, puṣkaras (sacred lakes), and śailas (mountains)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa (addressed as ‘dvijottama’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping panorama: dense Magadha forests, shimmering sacred lakes labeled ‘Puṣkara,’ and towering snow-clad Himādri with a ‘king of mountains’ aura; pilgrims appear tiny, emphasizing scale.

Characters & Entities

• Magadha
• Puṣkara
• Himādri (Himalaya)
• Śailarāja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacredness is not limited to cities and temples; forests, lakes, and mountains are also dharma-fields where merit is cultivated through reverence and disciplined living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara is a key tīrtha named, alongside broader sacred regions such as Magadha and the Himādri ranges.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is specified; the verse functions as a catalog of sanctified landscapes.