Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 153

Devanagari script

कुङ्कुमैश्च सकर्पूरैर्गन्धैश्च विविधैस्तथा । पुष्पौघैश्च सुगन्धाढ्यैश्चतुर्थं लिङ्गपूरणम्

Transliteration

kuṅkumaiśca sakarpūrairgandhaiśca vividhaistathā | puṣpaughaiśca sugandhāḍhyaiścaturthaṃ liṅgapūraṇam

Translation

وبالكونكوما (kuṅkuma) مع الكافور، وبشتى أنواع الطيب؛ وبأكوام من الزهور الغنية بالعطر—هكذا يُوصَف الوجه الرابع لتكريم اللِّنگا (liṅga) وتزيينها.

Word by Word

• कुङ्कुमैः: with saffron/vermillion
• कुङ्कुमैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुङ्कुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

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

• सकर्पूरैः: together with camphor
• सकर्पूरैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थे ‘सह’) + कर्पूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-समुच्चयप्रयोगे तृतीया, बहुवचन; अव्ययीभावः ‘सह कर्पूरेण’ = ‘with camphor’ (qualifying the instruments)

• गन्धैः: with fragrances
• गन्धैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

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

• विविधैः: various
• विविधैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (गन्धैः इत्यस्य)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/also)

• पुष्पौघैः: with heaps/masses of flowers
• पुष्पौघैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + ओघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पुष्पाणाम् ओघः)

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

• सुगन्धाढ्यैः: rich in fragrance
• सुगन्धाढ्यैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुगन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सुगन्धेन आढ्याः) विशेषणम् (पुष्पौघैः)

• चतुर्थम्: the fourth
• चतुर्थम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषणम् (liṅgapūraṇam इत्यस्य)

• लिङ्गपूरणम्: the filling/adorning of the liṅga
• लिङ्गपूरणम्: Karma/Viṣaya (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + पूरण (प्रातिपदिक; √पॄ/पूर्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गस्य पूरणम्)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice, likely Sūta speaking in Āvantya Khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra Śiva shrine (unspecified)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The liṅga is richly adorned: saffron marks, camphor, perfumed unguents, and heaps of fragrant blossoms forming a floral mound around the emblem.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through beauty, fragrance, and reverent completeness in worship—offering the best one has.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) region is the broader sacred landscape in which these worship-rites are taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering kuṅkuma, camphor, diverse fragrances, and abundant fragrant flowers as a defined step in liṅga worship.