Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

देवमोहनधूपैश्च बह्वामोदततांबरैः । कर्पूरवर्तिदीपैश्च नैवेद्यैर्घृतपायसैः

Transliteration

devamohanadhūpaiśca bahvāmodatatāṃbaraiḥ | karpūravartidīpaiśca naivedyairghṛtapāyasaiḥ

Translation

وعبدَ سُوريا ببخورٍ آسر، وبثيابٍ غزيرةِ الطِّيب، وبمصابيحَ فتائلُها من الكافور، وبقرابينَ من السمنِ المصفّى وأرزٍّ حلوٍ باللبن.

Word by Word

• देवमोहनधूपैः: with incense that delights/enchants the gods
• देवमोहनधूपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवमोहनधूप (प्रातिपदिक; देव + मोहन + धूप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/साधन), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

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

• बह्वामोदततांबरैः: with cloths spread out, richly fragrant
• बह्वामोदततांबरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बह्वामोदतताम्बर (प्रातिपदिक; बहु + आमोद + ततम् + अम्बर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• कर्पूरवर्तिदीपैः: with lamps having camphor wicks
• कर्पूरवर्तिदीपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्पूरवर्तिदीप (प्रातिपदिक; कर्पूर + वर्ति + दीप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

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

• नैवेद्यैः: with food-offerings
• नैवेद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• घृतपायसैः: with ghee-milk-rice (sweet) offerings
• घृतपायसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृतपायस (प्रातिपदिक; घृत + पायस)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

Speaker

Skanda (narration to Agastya, per Kāśīkhaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs Sūrya-pūjā with curling incense smoke, richly scented cloth offerings, camphor-wick lamps, and a golden bowl of ghṛta-pāyasa placed before a radiant solar icon.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya (Ravi/Arka)
• Vimala (devotee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes complete when it is expressed through disciplined, reverent worship—offering fragrance, light, and food with sincerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where divine presence is praised through localized worship traditions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā with dhūpa (incense), āmbara (cloth/garments), dīpa (camphor-wick lamps), and naivedya (ghee and sweet rice).