Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

करवीरादि कुसुमै रक्तचंदनमिश्रितैः । दूर्वांकुरैरक्षतैश्च निक्षिप्तैः पात्रमध्यतः

Transliteration

karavīrādi kusumai raktacaṃdanamiśritaiḥ | dūrvāṃkurairakṣataiśca nikṣiptaiḥ pātramadhyataḥ

Translation

Mit Blüten wie karavīra (Oleander), vermischt mit rotem Sandelholz, und mit dūrvā-Sprossen sowie ungebrochenen Reiskörnern, die in die Mitte des Gefäßes gelegt werden—

Word by Word

• karavīra-ādi: such as karavīra (oleander)
• karavīra-ādi: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: karavīra (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्—‘करवीर-आदि’ (oleander etc.)

• kusumaiḥ: with flowers
• kusumaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kusuma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• rakta-candana-miśritaiḥ: mixed with red sandalwood
• rakta-candana-miśritaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक) + candana (प्रातिपदिक) + miśrita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘रक्तचन्दन-मिश्रित’ = mixed with red sandalwood; विशेषणम् (कुसुमैः इत्यादि-सम्बद्धम्)

• dūrvā-aṅkuraiḥ: with dūrvā sprouts
• dūrvā-aṅkuraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dūrvā (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅkura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘दूर्वा-अङ्कुर’ = sprouts of dūrvā grass

• akṣataiḥ: with unbroken rice grains
• akṣataiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘unbroken (rice grains)’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय-बोधकः (conjunction)

• nikṣiptaiḥ: placed/put
• nikṣiptaiḥ: Kriya (Participial/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-kṣip (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम्; ‘having been placed/put’ (instrumental absolute sense with preceding instruments)

• pātra-madhyataḥ: in the middle of the vessel
• pātra-madhyataḥ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pātra (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; तसिलन्त-अव्ययम् (ablatival adverb) = ‘from/within the middle of the vessel’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī sandhyā-arghya (Sūrya-upacāra)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ritual practitioner/pilgrim implied

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A copper vessel brimming with water holds a small floating cluster: red sandal tint, durvā blades, white akṣata grains, and vivid blossoms; hands carefully place the offerings at the center.

Characters & Entities

• Durvā
• Rakta-candana
• Karavīra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional offering (upacāra) sanctifies simple materials when presented with correct intention and order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instructions belong to Kāśī’s ritual culture as preserved in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Place flowers, red sandalwood, durvā sprouts, and akṣata (unbroken rice) into the arghya vessel.