Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

यक्षकर्द्दमकैश्चैव विल्वपत्रैरखंडितैः । पालाशजातिपुष्पैश्च वटकैर्माषसंभवैः । पूपभक्तादिदालीभिस्तोषयेच्छाकसंचयैः

Transliteration

yakṣakarddamakaiścaiva vilvapatrairakhaṃḍitaiḥ | pālāśajātipuṣpaiśca vaṭakairmāṣasaṃbhavaiḥ | pūpabhaktādidālībhistoṣayecchākasaṃcayaiḥ

Translation

Ferner mit Yakṣa-Salben, mit unversehrten Bilva-Blättern, mit Pālāśa- und Jasminblüten und mit Vada (Küchlein) aus schwarzem Urdbohnenmehl; zusammen mit Pūpa, gekochtem Reis und anderen Speisen soll man (die Göttin) durch reichliche Gemüsezubereitungen erfreuen.

Word by Word

• यक्षकर्दमकैः: with yakṣa-kardamaka (a kind of offering/mixture)
• यक्षकर्दमकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष + कर्दमक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यक्षस्य कर्दमकः) Instrumental plural

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

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle: indeed/just)

• विल्वपत्रैः: with bilva leaves
• विल्वपत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विल्व + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विल्वस्य पत्रम्) Instrumental plural

• अखण्डितैः: unbroken/undamaged
• अखण्डितैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + खण्डित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्—(पत्राणाम्) Instrumental plural adjective

• पालाशजातिपुष्पैः: with pālāśa and jāti flowers
• पालाशजातिपुष्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पालाश + जाति + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (पालाश-पुष्पैः + जाति-पुष्पैः) Instrumental plural

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

• वटकैः: with vata-cakes/dumplings
• वटकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वटक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• माषसंभवैः: made from māṣa (black gram)
• माषसंभवैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माष + संभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (माषात् संभवः) ‘made of black-gram’—विशेषणम् (वटकानाम्) Instrumental plural

• पूपभक्तादिदालीभिः: with portions/servings of pūpa, rice-food, etc.
• पूपभक्तादिदालीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूप + भक्त + आदि + दाली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—पूप-भक्त-आदि (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-समुच्चयार्थ) + दाली; Instrumental plural

• तोषयेत्: should satisfy/please
• तोषयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should satisfy/please’

• शाकसंचयैः: with collections of vegetables/greens
• शाकसंचयैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक + संचय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शाकानां संचयः) Instrumental plural

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa (deductively a Purāṇic teacher addressing a King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa) implied

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual tray with glossy unbroken bilva leaves, jasmine and pālāśa blossoms, jars of scented unguents, and plates of vaṭaka, pūpa, rice, and vegetable preparations set before the Devī icon.

Characters & Entities

• Śrīmātā
• Dharmaputrikā
• Bilva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through generous, wholesome offerings; pleasing the Goddess includes feeding and abundance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Dharmāraṇya ritual stream; it does not single out a separate tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer unbroken bilva leaves, specified flowers, black-gram vadas, pūpas, cooked rice and side dishes, especially plentiful vegetable preparations.