Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

पूजोपकरणं सर्वमनुक्ता साधयेत्स्वयम् । नियमोदकबर्हींषि पत्रपुप्पाक्षतादिकम्

Transliteration

pūjopakaraṇaṃ sarvamanuktā sādhayetsvayam | niyamodakabarhīṃṣi patrapuppākṣatādikam

Translation

ومن غير أن تُؤمَر، ينبغي لها أن تُعِدّ بنفسها جميع لوازم العبادة: ماء الطهارة للنسك، وعشب الكوشا المقدّس، والأوراق والزهور وحبّات الأرزّ وما شابه ذلك.

Word by Word

• pūjopakaraṇam: worship materials
• pūjopakaraṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjā (प्रातिपदिक) + upakaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पूजायाः उपकरणम्)

• sarvam: all
• sarvam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• anuktā: (she) unasked
• anuktā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-ukta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (ukta) with नञ्-पूर्वक; ‘unasked/unsaid’

• sādhayet: should arrange/prepare
• sādhayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sādh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• svayam: by herself
• svayam: Karta (Agent-emphasis/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वयम्-शब्दः, अव्यय (adverb)

• niyamodakam: water for ritual observance
• niyamodakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyama (प्रातिपदिक) + udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (नियमस्य उदकम्)

• barhīṃṣi: sacrificial grass (darbha)
• barhīṃṣi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: barhis (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• patra: leaf
• patra: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• puppa: flower
• puppa: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक; रूपे ‘puppa’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• akṣata: unbroken rice grains
• akṣata: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• ādikam: and the like
• ādikam: Visheshana (Etc./विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘आदि’ = ‘etc.’ (ending member)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī home shrine scene: a woman neatly arranges a brass lota of water, kuśa bundle, bilva leaves, flowers, and akṣata on a tray before a Śiva-liṅga; lamp and incense ready.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional diligence—serving dharma through proactive preparation for worship and maintaining ritual readiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred backdrop, where worship and purity are central to the city’s mahatmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Preparation of pūjā-upakaraṇa: niyama-udaka (pure water), sacred grass, leaves, flowers, and akṣata for worship.