Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

मालतीजातिबकुलपाटलीनागचंपकैः । करवीरैः कर्णिकारैः केतकीभिरलंकृता

Transliteration

mālatījātibakulapāṭalīnāgacaṃpakaiḥ | karavīraiḥ karṇikāraiḥ ketakībhiralaṃkṛtā

Translation

此地以茉莉（mālatī、jāti）、巴库拉花、帕塔利花、那伽占波迦花而为庄严；又以夹竹桃（karavīra）、金雨花（karṇikāra）与凯塔姬花（ketakī）增其华饰。

Word by Word

• mālatī: mālatī jasmine
• mālatī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषणाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mālatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक — समासाङ्ग

• jāti: jāti jasmine
• jāti: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषणाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक — समासाङ्ग

• bakula: bakula tree
• bakula: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषणाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bakula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक — समासाङ्ग

• pāṭalī: pāṭalī (trumpet-flower)
• pāṭalī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषणाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṭalī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक — समासाङ्ग

• nāga: nāga (as in nāgacampaka)
• nāga: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषणाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक — समासाङ्ग (here: nāga-campaka)

• caṃpakaiḥ: with campaka and other flowers/trees (as listed)
• caṃpakaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṃpaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental, plural); समाहार-द्वन्द्वसमासः: mālatī-jāti-bakula-pāṭalī-nāga-caṃpaka (list-compound)

• karavīraiḥ: with oleanders (karavīra)
• karavīraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karavīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental, plural)

• karṇikāraiḥ: with karṇikāra trees
• karṇikāraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karṇikāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental, plural)

• ketakībhiḥ: with ketakī (screw-pine) flowers
• ketakībhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ketakī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (feminine, instrumental, plural)

• alaṃkṛtā: adorned
• alaṃkṛtā: Visheshya (Predicate adjective/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: alaṃ-√kṛ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, nominative, singular)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced for Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close, sensuous botanical tableau: mālatī and jāti jasmine garlands drape over bakula and pāṭalī branches; nāga-campaka blossoms glow; karavīra, karṇikāra, and ketakī punctuate the garden with varied colors and forms.

Characters & Entities

• Ayodhyā
• mālatī
• bakula
• ketakī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are celebrated not only for doctrine but for their devotional beauty—fragrance and flowers uplift the mind toward bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā, described as ornamented with many revered flowering trees and creepers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; flowers implicitly support pūjā and devotional offerings typical of a tīrtha-city.