Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा मध्याह्नसमये तिलामलकसंयुतम् । शिवस्य कुर्याद्गंधपुष्पफलादिभिः

Transliteration

snātvā madhyāhnasamaye tilāmalakasaṃyutam | śivasya kuryādgaṃdhapuṣpaphalādibhiḥ

Translation

Nachdem man zur Mittagszeit gebadet hat und Gaben darbringt, begleitet von Sesam und Āmalaka, soll man Śiva mit Duftstoffen, Blumen, Früchten und dergleichen verehren.

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभावकृदन्त (absolutive); पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having bathed)

• मध्याह्नसमये: at midday time
• मध्याह्नसमये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्याह्न (प्रातिपदिक) + समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मध्याह्नस्य समयः); पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तिलामलकसंयुतम्: mixed with sesame and āmalaka
• तिलामलकसंयुतम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक) + आमलक (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (प्रातिपदिक/क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (तिल-आमलकाभ्यां संयुतम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (कर्म/द्रव्य) विशेषणम्

• शिवस्य: of Śiva / for Śiva
• शिवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should do/offer
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• गन्धपुष्पफलादिभिः: with fragrances, flowers, fruits, etc.
• गन्धपुष्पफलादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व-प्राय/तत्पुरुष (गन्ध-पुष्प-फल-आदि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; साधनवाचक

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Devendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee (or Indra) completes a midday bath in cold Himalayan water; nearby are bowls of sesame and fresh āmalaka; then offerings of fragrance, flowers, and fruits are arranged before the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Tilā (sesame)
• Āmalaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity through snāna and sincere, simple offerings are upheld as a complete mode of Śiva-bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Kedāra-centered pilgrimage ethos, where ritual purity supports the merit of the sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe at midday and worship Śiva with gandha, puṣpa, phala, etc., specifically including tilā and āmalaka.