Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

गंधोदकेन च ततः पूजयेत्कुसुमोत्तमैः । तथैव विधिवद्भक्त्या सोऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

gaṃdhodakena ca tataḥ pūjayetkusumottamaiḥ | tathaiva vidhivadbhaktyā so'śvamedhaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

Dann soll man (den Herrn) mit duftendem Wasser und den erlesensten Blumen verehren. Wird dies rituell korrekt und in Bhakti vollzogen, erlangt der Verehrer Verdienst, das dem Ergebnis des Aśvamedha-Opfers gleichkommt.

Word by Word

• गंधोदकेन: with scented water
• गंधोदकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (गन्धयुक्तम् उदकम्)

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ततः: then
• ततः: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कुसुमोत्तमैः: with excellent flowers
• कुसुमोत्तमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुसुम + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (उत्तमानि कुसुमानि)

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• विधिवत्: according to rite
• विधिवत्: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (manner adverb: according to rule)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अश्वमेधफलम्: the fruit of the Aśvamedha (sacrifice)
• अश्वमेधफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अश्वमेधस्य फलम्)

• लभेत्: would obtain/should obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Unspecified in this snippet (context: Īśvara/Śiva speaking to Devī in Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gautameśvara (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The worship continues: the liṅga is sprinkled with fragrant water; heaps of fresh, ‘best’ flowers are offered; the devotee’s hands are in añjali; the atmosphere suggests a sacrifice transmuted into temple worship.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship performed correctly—simple offerings like fragrant water and flowers—can yield immense merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa’s Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya (here tied to the Gautameśvara context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā using scented water (gandhodaka) and the best flowers, done vidhivat (according to injunction) with bhakti.