Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

सुगंधचंदनरसैर्लिंगमालिप्य भक्तितः । आलिप्यते सुरस्त्रीभिः सुगंधैर्यक्षकर्दमैः

Transliteration

sugaṃdhacaṃdanarasairliṃgamālipya bhaktitaḥ | ālipyate surastrībhiḥ sugaṃdhairyakṣakardamaiḥ

Translation

من طيّب اللِّينغا بعجينةِ الصندل العطرة بإخلاص، فقد أتى بالفعل الذي لأجله حتى النساءُ السماويات يطيّبنَه بعطورٍ فواحة كأدهانِ الياكشا.

Word by Word

• sugandha-candana-rasaiḥ: with fragrant sandal-essences
• sugandha-candana-rasaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + candana (प्रातिपदिक) + rasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः: ‘with juices/essences of fragrant sandal’

• liṅgam: the liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• ālipya: having anointed
• ālipya: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√lip (लिप्, लेपने) क्त्वान्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त: ‘having anointed/smeared’

• bhaktitaḥ: devoutly
• bhaktitaḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय: ‘out of devotion’

• ālipyate: is anointed
• ālipyate: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√lip (लिप्, लेपने)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive): ‘is anointed’

• sura-strībhiḥ: by heavenly women
• sura-strībhiḥ: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्मणि कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः: ‘by celestial women’

• sugandhaiḥ: fragrant
• sugandhaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-gandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (यक्षकर्दमैः)

• yakṣa-kardamaiḥ: with yakṣa-pastes (fragrant unguents)
• yakṣa-kardamaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + kardama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः: ‘with yakṣa-muds/pastes’

Speaker

Śiva (continuing praise of Liṅga-upacāras in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī Liṅga (Liṅgarāja)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Amarāḥ (devas/immortals)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees apply fragrant sandal paste to the liṅga; in a parallel celestial layer, apsarases/sura-strīs perform the same act with rare perfumed unguents, suggesting the devotee’s act equals heavenly service.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Candana (sandal)
• Sura-strī (celestial women)
• Yakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offering beauty and fragrance to the divine symbol is honored as a high devotional service, mirroring celestial worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, by depicting exalted, heaven-like worship of the revered Liṅga situated in its sacred realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gandha-upacāra: anointing the Liṅga with fragrant sandal paste and perfumes as part of pūjā.