Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पूजयेत्तं विधानेन गन्धपुष्पादिभिः क्रमात् । भोजयेद्ब्राह्मणाञ्छक्त्या भक्ष्यभोज्यैरनेकशः

Transliteration

pūjayettaṃ vidhānena gandhapuṣpādibhiḥ kramāt | bhojayedbrāhmaṇāñchaktyā bhakṣyabhojyairanekaśaḥ

Translation

ينبغي أن يُعبَد وفق الشعيرة المقرّرة، بتقديم الطيب والزهور وما شابهها على الترتيب؛ ثمّ بحسب الاستطاعة يُطعَم البراهمة بأنواع كثيرة من الطعام، من المأكولات الخفيفة إلى الوجبات التامّة.

Word by Word

• pūjayet: should worship
• pūjayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular)

• tam: him/that (one)
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• vidhānena: by the prescribed procedure
• vidhānena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः (neuter), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (instrumental), एकवचनम् (singular)

• gandha-puṣpa-ādibhiḥ: with fragrances, flowers, etc.
• gandha-puṣpa-ādibhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (instrumental), बहुवचनम् (plural); समासः: गन्धश्च पुष्पं च (items like fragrance and flowers) + आदि (etc.)

• kramāt: in due order, successively
• kramāt: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb); तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• bhojayet: should feed
• bhojayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (धातु) [causative/णिच्: भोजयति]
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular); णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative)

• brāhmaṇān: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• śaktyā: according to one's capacity
• śaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (feminine), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (instrumental), एकवचनम् (singular)

• bhakṣya-bhojyaiḥ: with eatables and foods
• bhakṣya-bhojyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakṣya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √bhakṣ) + bhojya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √bhuj)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः (neuter), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (instrumental), बहुवचनम् (plural); द्वन्द्वः (copulative): भक्ष्यं च भोज्यं च

• anekaśaḥ: in many ways / repeatedly
• anekaśaḥ: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb); शस्-प्रत्ययान्त (distributive adverb)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣetrapāleśvara

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Temple courtyard pūjā: devotee offers sandal paste and flowers to a liṅga; priests arrange offerings; a line of brāhmaṇas seated for bhojana with leaf-plates; abundant yet orderly food display.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetrapeśvara (context)
• Brāhmaṇas
• Pūjā (worship)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is completed by dharmic action: worship with devotion and charity through feeding worthy recipients.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kṣetrapeśvara/Kṣetrapāla shrine within Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pūjā with gandha and flowers in proper order, and feed brāhmaṇas according to one’s means with varied foods.