Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

गन्धैर्माल्यैः सुरभिभिर्धूपैर्नीराजनैरपि । अर्चयित्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठान्नमश्चक्रे समाहिता

Transliteration

gandhairmālyaiḥ surabhibhirdhūpairnīrājanairapi | arcayitvā dvijaśreṣṭhānnamaścakre samāhitā

Translation

Mit Düften, wohlriechenden Blumengirlanden, Räucherwerk und auch mit dem Schwenken der Lichter (Ārati) verehrte sie jene vortrefflichen Brāhmaṇas; dann verneigte sie sich, im Geist gesammelt, in ehrfürchtiger Hingabe.

Word by Word

• गन्धैः: with fragrances
• गन्धैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• माल्यैः: with garlands
• माल्यैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• सुरभिभिः: fragrant
• सुरभिभिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुरभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (गन्धैः/धूपैः)

• धूपैः: with incense
• धूपैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• नीराजनैः: with ārati offerings (wavings of light)
• नीराजनैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीराजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• अर्चयित्वा: having worshipped
• अर्चयित्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) with णिच् (causative/denominative) stem ‘अर्चय-’; ‘having worshipped’

• द्विजश्रेष्ठान्: the best Brahmins
• द्विजश्रेष्ठान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘श्रेष्ठान् द्विजान्’

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Karma (Object within idiom)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: निपात/अव्यय (salutation particle), प्रायः ‘नमः’ इति अव्ययप्रयोगः

• चक्रे: made / offered
• चक्रे: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• समाहिता: composed, attentive
• समाहिता: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘collected/attentive’

Speaker

Narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The queen offers perfumes and garlands, waves incense and lamps in nīrājana before the brāhmaṇa recipients (now treated as divine), then bows with a steady, composed expression; smoke curls and lamp flames illuminate faces.

Characters & Entities

• dvijaśreṣṭha (excellent brāhmaṇas)
• nīrājana (ārati)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through both offerings and humility; worship culminates in reverent surrender (namaskāra) with a steady mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is glorified in this verse; it focuses on worship procedure and dharmic honor.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Standard pūjā upacāras: gandha (perfume), mālya (garlands), dhūpa (incense), and nīrājana (ārati), followed by namaskāra.