Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

पुष्पैर्धूपैस्तथा गन्धैर्वस्त्रैः संपूज्य भक्तितः । गणानां त्वेति मन्त्रेण अर्घ्यं चास्मै निवेदयेत्

Transliteration

puṣpairdhūpaistathā gandhairvastraiḥ saṃpūjya bhaktitaḥ | gaṇānāṃ tveti mantreṇa arghyaṃ cāsmai nivedayet

Translation

وبإخلاصٍ وتعبّد، فليُقم بعبادة الرب عبادةً تامة بالزهور والبخور والعطور والثياب؛ وبالمانترا التي تبتدئ بـ «gaṇānāṃ tv…» فليقدّم له أيضًا الأَرغْيَا، ماءَ الإكرام.

Word by Word

• पुष्पैः: with flowers
• पुष्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

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

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Additive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक (likewise/also)

• गन्धैः: with fragrances
• गन्धैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• वस्त्रैः: with garments
• वस्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• संपूज्य: having worshipped well
• संपूज्य: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पूज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (having duly worshipped)

• भक्तितः: out of devotion / devoutly
• भक्तितः: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative); एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (from devotion = devoutly)

• गणानाम्: of the Gaṇas
• गणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक (quotative)

• मन्त्रेण: with the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• अर्घ्यम्: arghya-offering
• अर्घ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• अस्मै: to him
• अस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative); एकवचन

• निवेदयेत्: should offer/present
• निवेदयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + विद् (धातु) + णिच्
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative: “should offer/present”)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Purāṇic māhātmya narration style within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapardin-Śiva at Prabhāsa

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside or before a coastal Śiva shrine, the devotee performs full worship: offering flowers, incense smoke curling upward, fragrant paste, and a folded garment; then pours arghya from a vessel while chanting a gaṇa-invoking mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇas
• Śiva (implied as Gaṇeśa/gaṇādhipa context, but here generally Śiva as Lord of Gaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes complete when expressed through proper offerings and mantra-guided reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where Śaiva worship is prescribed as especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pūjā with flowers, incense, scents, and cloth; then offer arghya while reciting the “gaṇānāṃ tv…” mantra.