Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24
अनेनात्र चंदनादि दत्त्वा राजमाषतण्डुलमिश्रकाश्च चतुःषष्टिकृतभागान्वटकान्निवेद्य तावत्यो दीपिकास्तावन्ति पत्राणि पूगानि निवेद्य दण्डवत्प्रणम्य महास्तुतिमेतां जपेत्
anenātra caṃdanādi dattvā rājamāṣataṇḍulamiśrakāśca catuḥṣaṣṭikṛtabhāgānvaṭakānnivedya tāvatyo dīpikāstāvanti patrāṇi pūgāni nivedya daṇḍavatpraṇamya mahāstutimetāṃ japet
Hier soll man, gestützt auf dieses Mantra, Sandelholz und dergleichen darbringen; vaṭaka (Küchlein) aus einer Mischung von schwarzem Gram und Reis, in vierundsechzig Teile geteilt, als Opfergabe darreichen; ebenso viele Lämpchen darbringen und gleichermaßen Blätter und Arekanüsse; dann, in daṇḍavat voll ausgestreckt niederfallend, diese große Hymne rezitieren.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) prescribing the ritual (deduced)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A ritual table before a guardian shrine: sandal paste, 64 small cakes, 64 lamps in rows, betel leaves and areca nuts; devotee performs full prostration and begins chanting a hymn.
FAQs
Devotion is expressed through disciplined, counted offerings and humility—ritual order mirrors inner order and earns protective grace.
The instruction is general to Kṣetrapāla worship within sacred precincts; no single tīrtha is named in this verse.
Offer sandalwood; naivedya of black-gram-and-rice vaṭakas in 64 portions; offer an equal number of lamps, leaves, and areca-nuts; prostrate (daṇḍavat) and recite the great hymn.