Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

धूपप्रदीपनैवेद्य पयो दधि घृतैक्षवम् । एतद्भुक्तं निषेवंते सर्वे दिवि दिवौकसः

Transliteration

dhūpapradīpanaivedya payo dadhi ghṛtaikṣavam | etadbhuktaṃ niṣevaṃte sarve divi divaukasaḥ

Translation

البخورُ والمصابيحُ وقرابينُ الطعام—مع اللبن والروب والسمن وعصير قصب السكر—إذا قُدِّمت ثم أُكِلَت بوصفها بَرَكَةً (براسادا)، رضِيَتْ جميعُ الآلهة الساكنة في السماء ونالت نصيبَها اللطيف.

Word by Word

• dhūpa: incense
• dhūpa: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सूची-समुच्चयार्थे (as item in list)

• pradīpa: lamp
• pradīpa: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सूची-समुच्चयार्थे

• naivedya: offering (food)
• naivedya: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naivedya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘food-offering’

• payaḥ: milk
• payaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: payas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• dadhi: curd, yogurt
• dadhi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dadhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• ghṛtaikṣavam: ghee and sugarcane-juice/sugarcane (offering)
• ghṛtaikṣavam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + ikṣu (प्रातिपदिक) + a (समासान्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (ghṛtaṃ ca ikṣavaṃ ca) collective as one offering

• etat: this
• etat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (for bhuktam)

• bhuktam: (that which is) eaten/partaken
• bhuktam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhuj (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय) → bhukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘eaten/partaken’

• niṣevaṃte: they partake/enjoy
• niṣevaṃte: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni + sev (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• sarve: all
• sarve: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• divi: in heaven
• divi: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: div (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• divaukasaḥ: the dwellers in heaven (gods)
• divaukasaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: div (प्रातिपदिक) + okas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: divy okasaḥ yeṣām = ‘those whose dwelling is in heaven’

Speaker

Gaṇas (Śiva’s attendants), contextually continuing the explanation

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sanctum scene: devotees offer incense and lamps; trays of naivedya with milk, curd, ghee, and sugarcane juice; subtle celestial beings above receive the essence while priests distribute prasāda.

Characters & Entities

• Devas (divaukasaḥ)
• Agni (implied through offerings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple, sattvic offerings made with devotion become a means of nourishing the divine order and sustaining dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual context is within Kāśī as taught in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, highlighting worship practices aligned with Kāśī’s sacred power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering dhūpa (incense), pradīpa (lamp), naivedya (food), and items like milk, curd, ghee, and sugarcane-juice—understood as devotional offerings that please the devas.