Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 100

Devanagari script

घृतकंबलपूजाभिर्महास्नानपुरःसरम् । कृष्णागुरुप्रभृतिभिर्गर्भागारे प्रधूपनैः

Transliteration

ghṛtakaṃbalapūjābhirmahāsnānapuraḥsaram | kṛṣṇāguruprabhṛtibhirgarbhāgāre pradhūpanaiḥ

Translation

Mit Verehrung, die Ghee und Decken umfasst—eingeleitet durch ein großes rituelles Bad—und mit Räucherung im Heiligtum, mit schwarzem Agaru und dergleichen, soll das Ritual vollzogen werden.

Word by Word

• घृतकंबलपूजाभिः: by worship with ghee-blankets (offerings)
• घृतकंबलपूजाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक) + कंबल (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; समासः (घृतकंबलस्य पूजा) + भिस्-प्रत्यय

• महास्नानपुरःसरम्: preceded by a great bath
• महास्नानपुरःसरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः (महास्नानं पुरःसरं यस्य तत्/महास्नानपुरःसरम्)

• कृष्णागुरुप्रभृतिभिः: with black agaru and the like
• कृष्णागुरुप्रभृतिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + अगुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; समासः (कृष्णागुरु-प्रभृति = 'black agaru and the like')

• गर्भागारे: in the sanctum/inner chamber
• गर्भागारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + आगार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; समासः (गर्भस्य आगारम्)

• प्रधूपनैः: with fumigations/incensings
• प्रधूपनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रधूपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue framework)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a dim sanctum: a liṅga or deity icon freshly bathed (mahāsnāna), priests offering ghṛta and a folded blanket/vastra; thick aromatic smoke of kṛṣṇāguru rises in curling patterns; lamps glint on wet stone.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇāguru
• Garbhagṛha (sanctum)
• Mahā-snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Temple worship is perfected through purity (mahā-snāna) and reverent offerings (incense, ghee, and other gifts).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual frame belongs to Kāśī in the Skanda Purāṇa’s Kāśīkhaṇḍa, associated with Śaiva sanctums and their worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform a great bath as a preliminary, then worship and incense the sanctum with agarwood and related aromatics.