Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सारस्वत उवाच । गंगोदकं मधुघृते कुंकुमागुरुचंद नम् । गुग्गुलं बिल्वपत्राणि बकपुष्पं च यो वहेत्

Transliteration

sārasvata uvāca | gaṃgodakaṃ madhughṛte kuṃkumāgurucaṃda nam | guggulaṃ bilvapatrāṇi bakapuṣpaṃ ca yo vahet

Translation

Sārasvata sprach: „Wer Ganga-Wasser, Honig und Ghee, Safran, Agaru und Sandelholz, Guggulu-Harz, Bilva-Blätter und Bakula-Blüten (zur Verehrung) mit sich trägt…“

Word by Word

• सारस्वतः: Sārasvata
• सारस्वतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• गङ्गोदकम्: Ganges water
• गङ्गोदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष (gaṅgāyāḥ udakam)

• मधु: honey
• मधु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• घृते: ghee
• घृते: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• कुङ्कुमम्: saffron/vermilion
• कुङ्कुमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुङ्कुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• अगुरु: aloeswood (aguru)
• अगुरु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• चन्दनम्: sandalwood
• चन्दनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• गुग्गुलम्: guggulu resin
• गुग्गुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुग्गुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• बिल्वपत्राणि: bilva leaves
• बिल्वपत्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल्व + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन (plural); समासः—तत्पुरुष (bilvasya patrāṇi)

• बकपुष्पम्: baka flowers
• बकपुष्पम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बक + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष (bakasya puṣpam)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यः: who (whoever)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• वहेत्: should carry
• वहेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Sārasvata

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/adhikārins addressed within the māhātmya narrative (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim prepares a shoulder-borne bundle of offerings: a small pot of Gaṅgā water, jars of honey and ghee, saffron, agaru and sandal paste, guggulu incense, bilva leaves, and bakula blossoms, set before a Śiva shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Sārasvata
• Gaṅgā
• Bilva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is made concrete through proper offerings gathered and carried with purity for worship at a sacred place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instructions belong to the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya (Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa), a tīrtha-centered glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Carrying specific pūjā materials—Gaṅgā water, honey, ghee, kuṅkuma, agaru, sandalwood, guggulu, bilva leaves, and flowers—for worship.