Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

दिव्यै पुष्पैः सुगंधैश्च मालतीकमलादिभिः । अशोकैः शतपत्रैश्च बकुलैः पूजयेत्क्रमात्

Transliteration

divyai puṣpaiḥ sugaṃdhaiśca mālatīkamalādibhiḥ | aśokaiḥ śatapatraiśca bakulaiḥ pūjayetkramāt

Translation

Man soll in rechter Reihenfolge verehren mit göttlichen, duftenden Blumen—wie Jasmin und Lotos—ferner mit Aśoka-Blüten, hundertblättrigen Blumen und Bakula-Blüten.

Word by Word

• दिव्यैः: divine
• दिव्यैः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; पुष्पैः सह विशेषण

• पुष्पैः: with flowers
• पुष्पैः: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• सुगन्धैः: fragrant
• सुगन्धैः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुगन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; पुष्पैः सह विशेषण

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• मालती-कमल-आदिभिः: with mālatī, lotus, and the like
• मालती-कमल-आदिभिः: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मालती (प्रातिपदिक) + कमल (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; ‘with (flowers) such as mālatī and lotus etc.’

• अशोकैः: with aśoka flowers
• अशोकैः: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• शतपत्रैः: with hundred-petalled (flowers)
• शतपत्रैः: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; ‘hundred-petalled (lotuses)’

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• बकुलैः: with bakula flowers
• बकुलैः: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• क्रमात्: in due order
• क्रमात्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; क्रमशः (adverbial: ‘in order/gradually’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cascade of flowers offered to the liṅga: white jasmine garlands, pink lotus, red aśoka blossoms, layered ‘hundred-petalled’ blooms, and creamy bakula; the sanctum fills with fragrance as offerings proceed in sequence.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Mālatī
• Kamala
• Aśoka
• Bakula

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Beauty and fragrance offered with order and devotion become vehicles of merit, expressing heartfelt reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where detailed offerings are part of its celebrated worship practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer specific fragrant flowers (jasmine, lotus, aśoka, śatapatra, bakula) in proper sequence during pūjā.