Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

सुगंधपुष्पधूपाद्यैर्देवं संपूज्य भक्तितः । तस्थौ तदग्रतो राजन्नेकाकी निर्जने वने

Transliteration

sugaṃdhapuṣpadhūpādyairdevaṃ saṃpūjya bhaktitaḥ | tasthau tadagrato rājannekākī nirjane vane

Translation

Mit duftenden Blumen, Weihrauch und anderen Gaben verehrte er die Gottheit in Hingabe; dann stand er dort vor Ihm, o König, allein im einsamen, menschenleeren Wald.

Word by Word

• सुगन्ध: fragrant
• सुगन्ध: Qualifier within compound
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक; सु + गन्ध)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद); कर्मधारयभावः — ‘सुगन्धः’

• पुष्प: flowers
• पुष्प: Qualifier within compound
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (मध्यपद)

• धूप: incense
• धूप: Qualifier within compound
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (मध्यपद)

• आद्यैः: and other (items)
• आद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’ इत्यस्य ‘आद्य’ रूपम्; समासान्त-बहुवचन

• सुगन्धपुष्पधूपाद्यैः: with fragrant flowers, incense, etc.
• सुगन्धपुष्पधूपाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुगन्ध-पुष्प-धूप-आद्य (प्रातिपदिक; सुगन्ध + पुष्प + धूप + आदि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वसमासः (समाहारार्थे द्रव्यसमूहः)

• देवम्: the deity
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• संपूज्य: having worshipped
• संपूज्य: Purvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: संपूज्य (कृदन्त; √पूज् (धातु) + सम् + ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष-अव्यय (gerund)

• भक्तितः: with devotion
• भक्तितः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) — ‘भक्त्या/भक्तिपूर्वम्’

• तस्थौ: stood/remained
• तस्थौ: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• अग्रतः: in front
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• तदग्रतः: before him/it
• तदग्रतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् + अग्रतः (सर्वनाम + अव्यय)
• Form: समासवत् प्रयोगः/अव्ययीभावसदृशः; ‘तस्य अग्रतः’ (in front of him/it)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• एकाकी: alone
• एकाकी: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकाकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• निर्जने: in a deserted (place)
• निर्जने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्जन (प्रातिपदिक; निर् + जन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषभावः — ‘जनरहिते’

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

Speaker

Sārasvata

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-vana-devālaya (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a lonely forest clearing, the dwarf brāhmaṇa offers fragrant flowers and incense to a deity (icon or liṅga), then stands absorbed before it, with no companions around.

Characters & Entities

• Sārasvata
• Vāmana (vipra)
• Deva (the worshipped deity)
• King (listener, unnamed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through simple, pure offerings sanctifies the pilgrim and the place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The forested sacred area connected with Vastrāpathakṣetra, where worship is performed before the resident Deity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā with fragrant flowers, incense, and related offerings, performed with bhakti.