Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

स्थापयेन्मोदकैः सार्धं चतुर्थं करकं बुधः । सूत्रेण वेष्टितग्रीवं गन्धमाल्यैरलंकृतम्

Transliteration

sthāpayenmodakaiḥ sārdhaṃ caturthaṃ karakaṃ budhaḥ | sūtreṇa veṣṭitagrīvaṃ gandhamālyairalaṃkṛtam

Translation

Der Weise soll einen vierten Ritualkrug zusammen mit Modakas aufstellen. Sein Hals sei mit einem Faden umwunden und mit Düften und Blumengirlanden geschmückt.

Word by Word

• स्थापयेत्: should place
• स्थापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (प्रयोजक)
• Form: विधिलिङ्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन — ‘should place’

• मोदकैः: with sweets (modakas)
• मोदकैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (सह/करण); बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Sambandha (Accompaniment-marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-निपात — indeclinable meaning ‘together with’

• चतुर्थम्: the fourth
• चतुर्थम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन — ordinal adjective qualifying करकम्

• करकम्: water-pot; vessel
• करकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म); एकवचन

• बुधः: the wise man
• बुधः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता); एकवचन — Nominative singular

• सूत्रेण: with a thread
• सूत्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण); एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• वेष्टितग्रीवम्: having its neck wrapped
• वेष्टितग्रीवम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेष्टित (कृदन्त; √वेष्ट् धातु, क्त) + ग्रीवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन — qualifying करकम्; समासः (तत्पुरुष): वेष्टिता ग्रीवा यस्य तत्

• गन्धमाल्यैः: with perfumes and garlands
• गन्धमाल्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + माल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण); बहुवचन — ‘with perfumes and garlands’; समासः (द्वन्द्व)

• अलंकृतम्: adorned; decorated
• अलंकृतम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलंकृत (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु, क्त, उपसर्ग अलम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन — past passive participle qualifying करकम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha milieu

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍunandana (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fourth ritual pot is set down; modakas arranged neatly; the pot’s neck is bound with a sacred thread and adorned with fragrant paste and garlands, creating a festive altar tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Modaka
• Karaka
• Sūtra
• Gandha
• Mālya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer adornment—when guided by wisdom—becomes a vehicle for inner reverence and disciplined worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to the Revā-khaṇḍa’s devotional framework around the Narmadā region; no single tirtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Set a fourth pot with modakas; wrap the neck with thread and decorate with fragrance and garlands.