Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 156

Devanagari script

कुङ्कुमेन विलिप्ताङ्गौ बहुपुष्पैश्च पूजितौ । भोजयेद्विविधै रत्नैर्मधूकावासके स्थितौ

Transliteration

kuṅkumena viliptāṅgau bahupuṣpaiśca pūjitau | bhojayedvividhai ratnairmadhūkāvāsake sthitau

Translation

Nachdem man ihre Glieder mit Kuṅkuma bestrichen und sie mit vielen Blumen verehrt hat, soll man ihnen sodann Speise darbringen und mannigfache kostbare Gaben schenken, während das Ritual im Madhūka-Heiligtum, seiner Wohnstätte, vollzogen wird.

Word by Word

• kuṅkumena: with saffron/vermillion
• kuṅkumena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṅkuma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचनम्

• viliptāṅgau: whose limbs are anointed
• viliptāṅgau: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi- + lip (√लिप् धातु) + kta (क्त) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: विलिप्तानि अङ्गानि यस्य/ययोः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचनम्; विशेषणम् (pūjitau/sthitau)

• bahupuṣpaiḥ: with many flowers
• bahupuṣpaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक) + puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: बहूनि पुष्पाणि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनम्

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• pūjitau: worshipped/honoured
• pūjitau: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūj (√पूज् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्तान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचनम्; विशेषणम् (dampatī implied)

• bhojayet: should feed/entertain
• bhojayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (√भुज् धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; णिजन्त (causative)

• vividhaiḥ: various
• vividhaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vividha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (ratnaiḥ)

• ratnaiḥ: with gems/jewels
• ratnaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनम्

• madhūkāvāsake: in the Mādhūkā-dwelling/place (near the madhūka)
• madhūkāvāsake: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhūkā (प्रातिपदिक) + vāsaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: मधूकायाः वासकः/स्थानम्), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचनम्

• sthitau: situated/standing
• sthitau: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (√स्था धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्तान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचनम्; विशेषणम् (dampatī implied)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mādhūkāvāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The divine pair/icon at Mādhūkāvāsa is fully anointed with red kuṅkuma, covered in flowers; before them are arranged food offerings and a tray of gems/precious items, with devotees performing the concluding service.

Characters & Entities

• kuṅkuma
• flowers
• Madhūkāvāsa (place-name)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True worship culminates in honoring the divine through hospitality and generous giving—beauty of ritual is joined to compassion and offering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Madhūkāvāsa is referenced as the ritual location within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kuṅkuma-anointing, flower worship, and feeding (bhojana) accompanied by gifts/precious offerings.