Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

कलशोपरि विन्यस्य वस्त्रं वर्णसमन्वितम् । तस्योपरिष्टात्सौवर्ण्यौ प्रतिमे शिवयोः शुभे । निधाय पूजयेद्भक्त्या यथाविभवविस्तरम्

Transliteration

kalaśopari vinyasya vastraṃ varṇasamanvitam | tasyopariṣṭātsauvarṇyau pratime śivayoḥ śubhe | nidhāya pūjayedbhaktyā yathāvibhavavistaram

Translation

ضع فوق الكَلَشَة قماشًا ذا ألوانٍ مناسبة، وفوقه أقم الصورتين الذهبيتين المباركتين لِشِيفا وقرينته. ثم اعبدهما بخشوع، ووسِّع القرابين على قدر استطاعتك.

Word by Word

• कलश: on the pot
• कलश: Adhikaraṇa (location; in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (समासपूर्वपद-रूप), एकवचन (masc, locative, singular)

• उपरि: upon/on
• उपरि: Adhikaraṇa (location marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb/preposition: ‘upon’)

• विन्यस्य: having placed
• विन्यस्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि+नि+√अस्/√न्यस् (धातु) → विन्यस्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having placed/arranged’

• वस्त्रम्: cloth
• वस्त्रम्: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, accusative, singular)

• वर्ण: color(s)
• वर्ण: Samānādhikaraṇa (member in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (समासपूर्वपद-रूप), बहुवचन/एकवचन-समासार्थ (in compound: ‘with colors’)

• समन्वितम्: endowed/combined (with)
• समन्वितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier of ‘वस्त्रम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+अन्वि (धातु) → समन्वित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, accusative, singular)

• तस्य: of it/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (pronoun, genitive, singular)

• उपरिष्टात्: above
• उपरिष्टात्: Adhikaraṇa (location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरिष्टात् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘above/on top’)

• सौवर्ण्यौ: two golden (ones)
• सौवर्ण्यौ: Karma (objects; to be placed)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौवर्ण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन (feminine, nom/acc, dual)

• प्रतिमे: two images/idols
• प्रतिमे: Apposition to ‘सौवर्ण्यौ’ (objects)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन (feminine, nom/acc, dual)

• शिवयोः: of Śiva (and Śivā)/of the divine couple
• शिवयोः: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, द्विवचन (masc, genitive, dual)

• शुभे: auspicious
• शुभे: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier of ‘प्रतिमे’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन (feminine, nom/acc, dual)

• निधाय: having placed
• निधाय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि+√धा (धातु) → निधाय (कृदन्त, ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having placed/deposited’

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriyā (verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (optative, parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karaṇa (means/manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (feminine, instrumental, singular)

• यथा: according to
• यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/उपमानवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘according to/as’)

• विभव: means/resources
• विभव: Sambandha (genitive in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (समासपूर्वपद-रूप), एकवचन (masc, genitive, singular)

• विस्तरम्: to the extent of one’s capacity
• विस्तरम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (extent/measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘विभवस्य विस्तरः’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, accusative, singular)

Speaker

Unknown (narrative instruction within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A consecrated kalasha draped with a colored cloth; atop it sit small golden icons of Śiva and Pārvatī; the devotee offers flowers, incense, lamps, and food in proportion to means.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śivā (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True worship is measured by devotion; ritual grandeur should match one’s capacity without pride or strain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is domestic/ritual installation for Śiva worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Place a cloth on the kalaśa, install golden images of Śiva and Śivā above it, and perform pūjā with offerings as per one’s means.