Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

आर्चयद्विविधैः पुष्पैर्नैवेद्यैश्च सुशोभनैः । क्षपाजागरणं कृत्वा श्रुत्वा पौराणिकीं कथाम्

Transliteration

ārcayadvividhaiḥ puṣpairnaivedyaiśca suśobhanaiḥ | kṣapājāgaraṇaṃ kṛtvā śrutvā paurāṇikīṃ kathām

Translation

Sie verehrte Ihn mit mancherlei Blumen und herrlichen Speiseopfern. Nachdem sie die Nacht hindurch gewacht hatte, hörte sie eine heilige puranische Erzählung.

Word by Word

• आर्चयत्: (he) worshipped
• आर्चयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (imperfect/past); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथम-पुरुषः एकवचनम् (3rd person singular)

• विविधैः: with various
• विविधैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-बहुवचनम् (masculine instrumental plural)

• पुष्पैः: with flowers
• पुष्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-बहुवचनम् (neuter instrumental plural)

• नैवेद्यैः: with food-offerings
• नैवेद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-बहुवचनम् (neuter instrumental plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• सुशोभनैः: very beautiful, splendid
• सुशोभनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुशोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-बहुवचनम् (neuter instrumental plural; agreeing with ‘नैवेद्यैः’)

• क्षपा: night
• क्षपा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (feminine nominative singular; compound member)

• जागरणम्: night-vigil
• जागरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्षपायाः जागरणम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (neuter accusative singular)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• पौराणिकीम्: puranic, from the Purāṇas
• पौराणिकीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पौराणिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (feminine accusative singular)

• कथाम्: story, narration
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (feminine accusative singular)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A decorated shrine with heaps of varied flowers and splendid naivedyas; devotees sit through the night around a storyteller reciting Purāṇic kathā; lamps illuminate attentive faces.

Characters & Entities

• pūjā (arcana)
• naivedya
• kṣapājāgaraṇa (night vigil)
• Purāṇic kathā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti is strengthened through worship, disciplined vigil, and śravaṇa (hearing) of Purāṇic wisdom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it describes practices performed at the shrine context already introduced in the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana with flowers and naivedya, performing night-vigil (jāgaraṇa), and hearing a Purāṇic kathā.