Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अहंकारविहीनं च स्नानं धूपानुपनम् । पुष्पनैवेद्यसंयुक्तमर्घदानसमन्वितम्

Transliteration

ahaṃkāravihīnaṃ ca snānaṃ dhūpānupanam | puṣpanaivedyasaṃyuktamarghadānasamanvitam

Translation

অহংকার ত্যাগ করে স্নান করুক এবং ধূপ অর্পণ করুক; পুষ্প ও নৈবেদ্যসহ, অর্ঘ্যদান ও দান দ্বারা সম্পূর্ণ করুক।

Word by Word

• अहंकारविहीनम्: free from ego
• अहंकारविहीनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहंकार (प्रातिपदिक) + विहीन (कृदन्त; वि-√हा)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्नानम्) — ‘devoid of ego’

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• धूपानुपनम्: incense and anointing
• धूपानुपनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (incense and unguent/anointing)

• पुष्पनैवेद्यसंयुक्तम्: accompanied by flowers and naivedya
• पुष्पनैवेद्यसंयुक्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (कृदन्त; सम्-√युज्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्नानम्/उपचारः) — ‘accompanied by flowers and food-offering’

• अर्घदानसमन्वितम्: together with argha-offering
• अर्घदानसमन्वितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त; सम्-अनु-√इ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् — ‘endowed with offering of argha’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A worshipper, freshly bathed, offers incense, flowers, and naivedya before the deity; arghya is poured from a small vessel; a gift is set aside—his posture humble, head bowed.

Characters & Entities

• snāna
• dhūpa
• naivedya
• arghya
• dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer offerings gain their true power when paired with inner humility—worship must be ego-free.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse enumerates worship-components applicable broadly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna with humility, offering dhūpa (incense), puṣpa (flowers), naivedya (food), arghya, and dāna (gifts).