Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

पुष्पमात्र प्रदानाच्च चुलुकोदकपूवर्कम् । शतसौवर्णिकं पुण्यं लभते भक्तियोगतः

Transliteration

puṣpamātra pradānācca culukodakapūvarkam | śatasauvarṇikaṃ puṇyaṃ labhate bhaktiyogataḥ

Translation

By offering even a single flower—preceded by a handful of water—one attains, through the yoga of devotion, merit equal to a hundred gifts of gold.

Word by Word

• पुष्पमात्र: a mere flower
• पुष्पमात्र: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प-मात्र (प्रातिपदिक; पुष्प + मात्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; ‘only a flower’ (मात्र = only)

• प्रदानात्: from giving
• प्रदानात्: Apadana (Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ (because of giving)

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

• चुलुकोदकपूर्वकम्: preceded by a handful of water
• चुलुकोदकपूर्वकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चुलुक-उदक-पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक; चुलुक + उदक + पूर्वक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (प्रदान/पूजा-क्रिया implied) ‘preceded by handful-water (offering)’

• शतसौवर्णिकम्: equivalent to a hundred gold (units)
• शतसौवर्णिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत-सौवर्णिक (प्रातिपदिक; शत + सौवर्णिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (numeral compound) ‘worth a hundred gold (coins)/gold units’; विशेषणम् ‘पुण्यम्’

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• भक्तियोगतः: through devotional practice
• भक्तियोगतः: Apadana (Cause/Means-like/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति-योग-तस् (प्रातिपदिक; भक्ति + योग + तस्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘from/through devotion-yoga’

Speaker

Śiva (continuing Liṅga-māhātmya discourse in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī—praised Liṅga (adhyāya context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers a single fresh flower and a small handful of water before the liṅga; the sanctum is simple, lamp-lit; the offering radiates symbolic golden light, hinting at ‘hundred gold gifts’ merit.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga (implied)
• Puṣpa (flower offering)
• Udaka (water offering)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī’s sacred economy of grace, sincere devotion makes small offerings spiritually immense.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, where worship of the praised Liṅga magnifies even minimal offerings into great merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering a flower (puṣpa) with a preliminary water offering (culukodaka) as part of Liṅga worship.