Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

आदौ विनायकं पूज्य घृतपूरान्निवेद्य च । ततोर्चयेद्विश्वभुजामशोककुसुमैः शुभैः

Transliteration

ādau vināyakaṃ pūjya ghṛtapūrānnivedya ca | tatorcayedviśvabhujāmaśokakusumaiḥ śubhaiḥ

Translation

Zuerst verehre man Vināyaka und bringe Ghṛtapūras dar, mit Ghee gefüllte Süßspeisen. Danach verehre man Viśvabhujā (Gaurī) mit glückverheißenden Aśoka-Blüten.

Word by Word

• आदौ: at the beginning
• आदौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; adverbial locative ‘at first’

• विनायकम्: Vināyaka (Gaṇeśa)
• विनायकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; object of पूज्य

• पूज्य: having worshipped / to be worshipped
• पूज्य: Kriya (Instructional participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/तव्यत्-समर्थ ‘पूज्य’ (gerundive/passive participle), अर्थे क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष; here: ‘having worshipped’ (elliptic instruction)

• घृतपूरान्: ghṛtapūra sweets
• घृतपूरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृतपूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; offerings

• निवेद्य: having offered
• निवेद्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वेद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having offered/presented’

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

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thereafter)

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी; ‘should worship’

• विश्वभुजाम्: Viśvabhujā (the all-sustaining goddess)
• विश्वभुजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वभुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; object of अर्चयेत् (name/epithet)

• अशोककुसुमैः: with aśoka blossoms
• अशोककुसुमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशोक (प्रातिपदिक) + कुसुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; ‘with aśoka flowers’

• शुभैः: auspicious
• शुभैः: Karana (Instrument-qualifier/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण of अशोककुसुमैः

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small shrine space: first Gaṇeśa is offered golden ghṛtapūras; then the devotee turns to Gaurī (Viśvabhujā) adorned with Aśoka blossoms, lamps glowing.

Characters & Entities

• Vināyaka (Gaṇeśa)
• Gaurī (Viśvabhujā)
• Aśoka flowers
• Ghṛtapūra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right order in worship matters: remove obstacles through Vināyaka, then approach the Mother for the intended blessing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa framework places these rites in the merit-field of Kāśī, though no single tirtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā sequence and offerings: Vināyaka first with ghṛtapūra naivedya; then Gaurī with Aśoka blossoms.