Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

रक्तचंदनं प्रसाध्याथ प्रसिद्धं स्वकुलं तथा । कुंकुमारक्तपादैस्तैर्गंधपुष्पादिचर्चितैः

Transliteration

raktacaṃdanaṃ prasādhyātha prasiddhaṃ svakulaṃ tathā | kuṃkumāraktapādaistairgaṃdhapuṣpādicarcitaiḥ

Translation

Dann, nachdem sie die Zeichen mit rotem Sandel bestrichen hatten, machten sie ebenso ihr eigenes Geschlecht berühmt: durch jene roten, mit Kumkuma getönten Fußspuren, geschmückt mit Duft, Blumen und dergleichen.

Word by Word

• रक्तचन्दनम्: red sandalwood
• रक्तचन्दनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्तचन्दन (प्रातिपदिक; रक्त + चन्दन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (रक्तं चन्दनम्)

• प्रसाध्य: having adorned/applied
• प्रसाध्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-सा॒ध् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (sequence particle)

• प्रसिद्धम्: well-known
• प्रसिद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्वकुलम्)

• स्वकुलम्: one's own family/lineage
• स्वकुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वकुल (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + कुल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य कुलम्)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Desha-Kala (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: likewise/so)

• कुङ्कुमारक्तपादैः: with feet reddened by vermilion
• कुङ्कुमारक्तपादैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुङ्कुमारक्तपाद (प्रातिपदिक; कुङ्कुम + रक्त + पाद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (कुङ्कुमेन रक्ताः पादाः)

• तैः: by them/with those
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• गन्धपुष्पादिचर्चितैः: adorned with perfumes, flowers, etc.
• गन्धपुष्पादिचर्चितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गन्धपुष्पादिचर्चित (प्रातिपदिक; गन्ध + पुष्प + आदि + चर्चित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (गन्ध-पुष्प-आदि-भिः चर्चिताः)

Speaker

Brahmā (continuing narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Priests and devotees anoint red sandal paste and vermilion onto footprint-marks on a document or plaque; garlands and flowers surround it; incense smoke curls upward; the community looks on with pride and devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Raktacandana
• Kuṅkuma
• Raktapāda
• Kula

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional acts—fragrance, flowers, sacred anointing—are portrayed as consecrating communal identity when aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named; the verse describes ritual embellishment rather than pilgrimage praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Anointing with red sandalwood and kumkuma, and adorning with fragrance and flowers.