Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

अशुचिं भूमिमासाद्य गंधपुष्पादिकं महत् । पतितं चार्प्पितं तेन शिवाय परमात्मने

Transliteration

aśuciṃ bhūmimāsādya gaṃdhapuṣpādikaṃ mahat | patitaṃ cārppitaṃ tena śivāya paramātmane

Translation

Als er an einen unreinen Flecken Erde gelangte, brachte er selbst ein großes Opfer—Duft, Blumen und dergleichen—das herabgefallen war, dennoch Śiva dar, dem höchsten Selbst.

Word by Word

• अशुचिम्: impure
• अशुचिम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘भूमिम्’)

• भूमिम्: ground/earth
• भूमिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund/absolutive, ल्यप्); “having reached/approached”

• गन्धपुष्पादिकम्: fragrances, flowers, and the like
• गन्धपुष्पादिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध-पुष्प-आदिक (प्रातिपदिक; गन्ध + पुष्प + आदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (“fragrance, flowers, etc.” as a collection)

• महत्: great/abundant
• महत्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘गन्धपुष्पादिकम्’)

• पतितम्: fallen
• पतितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (describing the offering)

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

• अर्प्पितम्: offered
• अर्प्पितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्प् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• शिवाय: to Shiva
• शिवाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• परमात्मने: to the Supreme Lord
• परमात्मने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; परम + आत्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual Śaiva tīrtha teaching)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bali bends to pick up fallen flowers and fragrance from an impure spot, then offers them with folded hands to a Śiva-liṅga; the ground dark, the offering radiant, showing sanctification through devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Paramātman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere devotion sanctifies the act of worship; intention can outweigh adverse external circumstances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kedārakhaṇḍa, Śiva-worship connected to Kedāra’s sanctity is emphasized, though the verse itself is general.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-pūjā through offerings of gandha and puṣpa is indicated (arpana), highlighting heartfelt worship.