Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

स्नापयेदीश्वरं भक्त्या क्षौद्रक्षीरेण सर्पिषा । दध्ना च खण्डयुक्तेन कुशतोयेन वै पुनः

Transliteration

snāpayedīśvaraṃ bhaktyā kṣaudrakṣīreṇa sarpiṣā | dadhnā ca khaṇḍayuktena kuśatoyena vai punaḥ

Translation

In Hingabe soll man den Herrn baden: mit Honig und Milch, mit Ghee, mit Joghurt, der mit Zucker vermischt ist, und danach erneut mit Wasser, das durch Kuśa-Gras geheiligt wurde.

Word by Word

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (cause to bathe)
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) → स्नापय (णिच्)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; causative (णिच्)

• ईश्वरम्: the Lord (Śiva)
• ईश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (manner)

• क्षौद्रक्षीरेण: with honey-milk
• क्षौद्रक्षीरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षौद्र-क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (क्षौद्रं क्षीरम् = honeyed milk); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• सर्पिषा: with ghee
• सर्पिषा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्पिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• दध्ना: with curd
• दध्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय; conjunction

• खण्डयुक्तेन: mixed with sugar (pieces)
• खण्डयुक्तेन: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खण्ड-युक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (खण्डेन युक्तः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular qualifying (दध्ना)

• कुशतोयेन: with water (sanctified) by kuśa grass
• कुशतोयेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश-तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (कुशैः तोयम्/कुशसम्बद्धं तोयम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय; emphatic particle

• पुनः: again; further
• पुनः: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय; adverb

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha Īśvara-pūjā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nareśvara (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Śiva-liṅga at a riverside shrine being bathed in sequence: honey and milk poured from kalasha, then ghee, then curd mixed with sugar, finally clear water sanctified with kuśa; devotees hold kuśa, conch, and lamps; the Revā flows nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Kṣaudra (honey)
• Kṣīra (milk)
• Sarpiṣ (ghee)
• Dadhi (curd)
• Khaṇḍa (sugar)
• Kuśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through careful, reverent worship (abhiṣeka) is presented as a dharmic means to purification and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instructions are situated in the Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha milieu, implying that such worship at the tīrtha is especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-abhiṣeka using honey, milk, ghee, curd with sugar, followed by kuśa-sanctified water.