Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

गन्धपुष्पादिभिर्देवं पूजयेद्गुडसंस्थितम् । ईशान्यां स्थापयेद्देवं गुडतोयसमन्वितम्

Transliteration

gandhapuṣpādibhirdevaṃ pūjayedguḍasaṃsthitam | īśānyāṃ sthāpayeddevaṃ guḍatoyasamanvitam

Translation

Verehre die Gottheit, die auf Jaggery sitzt, mit Duftstoffen, Blumen und dergleichen. Dann stelle die Gottheit in der Nordostrichtung (Īśāna) auf, zusammen mit Jaggery-Wasser als Beigabe.

Word by Word

• गन्धपुष्पादिभिः: with perfumes, flowers, etc.
• गन्धपुष्पादिभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समास (गन्ध-पुष्प-आदि) + भिस्; ‘with perfumes, flowers, etc.’

• देवम्: the deity (image)
• देवम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• गुडसंस्थितम्: placed in/on jaggery
• गुडसंस्थितम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुड (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सम् + स्था (धातु) → संस्थित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (देवम्); तत्पुरुष (गुडे संस्थितम्)

• ईशान्याम्: in the northeast (direction)
• ईशान्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशानी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; दिक्शब्द (northeast direction)

• स्थापयेत्: should place/establish
• स्थापयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्

• देवम्: the deity (image)
• देवम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गुडतोयसमन्वितम्: accompanied with jaggery-water
• गुडतोयसमन्वितम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुड (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सम् + अन्वि (धातु) → समन्वित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (देवम्); समास (गुडतोयेन समन्वितम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest offers sandal paste and flowers to a deity seated on jaggery; then the icon is ceremonially moved to the northeast corner of the mandala, with a small pot of jaggery-water placed beside it; lamps illuminate the Īśāna corner.

Characters & Entities

• Īśāna (NE direction)
• Guḍa
• Deva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual precision—pure offerings and correct placement—channels devotion into an ordered, sacred act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā-khaṇḍa context honors the Narmadā sacred landscape; this verse emphasizes puja directions rather than a named shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship with scent and flowers; establish the deity in the north-east and include guḍa-toya (sweetened water) in the setup.