Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

अशोकवर्तिनैवेद्यैर्धूपैश्चागुरुसंभवैः । कुंकुमेनानुलिप्यादावेकभक्तं ततश्चरेत्

Transliteration

aśokavartinaivedyairdhūpaiścāgurusaṃbhavaiḥ | kuṃkumenānulipyādāvekabhaktaṃ tataścaret

Translation

بقرابين مُعَدَّة من الأشوكا، وببخورٍ من خشب الأغرو (العُود)، وبعد تطييب الإله بالكُنكُما (الزعفران)، فليلتزم المرءُ بعد ذلك بنذر «إكابهكتا»؛ أي تناول وجبة واحدة فقط.

Word by Word

• अशोकवर्ति: aśoka-based
• अशोकवर्ति: Kriya-viseshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशोक (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप; अशोके वर्ति (aśoka-based/with aśoka) — used as पूर्वपद in compound

• नैवेद्यैः: with food-offerings
• नैवेद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; instrument/means of worship

• धूपैः: with incense
• धूपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

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

• अगुरुसंभवैः: made from aguru
• अगुरुसंभवैः: Karana (Instrument-qualifier/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अगुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + संभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अगुरोः संभवाः (arising from aguru) — qualifies धूपैः

• कुंकुमेन: with saffron/vermilion
• कुंकुमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुङ्कुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• अनुलिप्य: having anointed
• अनुलिप्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + लिप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having anointed/smeared’

• आदौ: at the beginning
• आदौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; adverbial locative ‘at first’

• एकभक्तम्: single-meal observance
• एकभक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; एकं भक्तं (single meal/once-a-day eating)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thereafter)

• चरेत्: should practise
• चरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी; ‘should practise/undertake’

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Gaurī altar richly scented: aguru incense smoke curls upward; the deity is anointed with kuṅkuma; offerings include Aśoka-prepared foods; the devotee later eats a single simple meal.

Characters & Entities

• Aśoka
• Aguru
• Kuṅkuma
• Ekabhakta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity and beauty unite in worship: fragrant offerings and sacred anointing culminate in disciplined simplicity (one meal).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī remains the textual sacred setting in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; this verse chiefly details vrata practice rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer Aśoka-associated naivedya, present aguru incense, anoint with kuṅkuma, and keep ekabhakta (one meal) as the dietary rule.