Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 92
अष्टादशापि चतुरस्ततोन्यूनं न कारयेत् । पयो दधि घृतं चैव क्षौद्रमिक्षुरसं तथा
aṣṭādaśāpi caturastatonyūnaṃ na kārayet | payo dadhi ghṛtaṃ caiva kṣaudramikṣurasaṃ tathā
Or one may make eighteen, or four—but one should not make fewer than that. (He should also prepare) milk, curd, ghee, honey, and likewise sugarcane juice.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)
Type: temple
Scene: Offerings are assembled: bowls of milk, curd, ghee, honey, and sugarcane juice, placed in orderly fashion near the sanctum; the devotee counts vessels, ensuring the minimum is met.
FAQs
Devotion is structured by dharmic order—numbers, materials, and minimum standards—so worship is complete and reverent.
No specific sacred geography is stated; the focus is on ritual prescriptions for Śiva worship.
Do not prepare fewer than four vessels (alternatives include 18); prepare liquids such as milk, curd, ghee, honey, and sugarcane juice for offering/abhiṣeka.