Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

गंडूषवारिणा तेन स्नपनं च कृतं महत् । बिल्वपत्रैरसंख्यातैरर्चनं महत्कृतम्

Transliteration

gaṃḍūṣavāriṇā tena snapanaṃ ca kṛtaṃ mahat | bilvapatrairasaṃkhyātairarcanaṃ mahatkṛtam

Translation

وبماء المضمضة ذاك أجرى سكبًا تطهيريًا عظيمًا (أبهيشيكا)، وبأوراق البِلفا التي لا تُحصى أقام عبادةً جليلة (أرشَنا).

Word by Word

• गण्डूषवारिणा: with mouthful-water
• गण्डूषवारिणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण्डूष + वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः—गण्डूषस्य वारिणा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तेन: by him/with that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्नपनम्: bathing/ablution
• स्नपनम्: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कृतम्: was done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Result/predicate/क्रियाफल)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karta (Predicate qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to स्नपनम्/कृतम्)

• बिल्वपत्रैः: with bilva leaves
• बिल्वपत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल्वपत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—बिल्वस्य पत्रैः (कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ)

• असंख्यातैः: countless
• असंख्यातैः: Karana (Instrument-qualifier/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असंख्यात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (to पत्रैः)

• अर्चनम्: worship/offerings
• अर्चनम्: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karta (Predicate qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to अर्चनम्/कृतम्)

• कृतम्: was done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Result/predicate/क्रियाफल)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Water poured (here from a mouthful) streams over a stone liṅga; a shower of bilva leaves covers it, forming a green mantle; the scene reads as a full pūjā despite its accidental origin.

Characters & Entities

• Bilva (Aegle marmelos)
• Śiva (implied by bilva-arcana and snapana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple offerings—water and bilva leaves—become ‘great’ when performed with earnest devotion to Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra sphere (Kedārakhaṇḍa) where Śiva’s worship and its merits are praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snapana (ritual ablution) and arcana using innumerable bilva leaves.