Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

गुडौदनं च नैवेद्यं रक्तवस्त्राभिवेष्टितम् । रक्तसूत्रेण दीपं च तथैवारार्तिकं नृप

Transliteration

guḍaudanaṃ ca naivedyaṃ raktavastrābhiveṣṭitam | raktasūtreṇa dīpaṃ ca tathaivārārtikaṃ nṛpa

Translation

One should offer as naivedya sweet rice with jaggery, wrapped in a red cloth. One should also prepare a lamp with a red thread, and likewise perform ārārtika, O king.

Word by Word

• guḍa-odanam: jaggery-rice (sweet rice)
• guḍa-odanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + odana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: गुडयुक्तः ओदनः (rice dish with jaggery)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): च (and)

• naivedyam: food offering (naivedya)
• naivedyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naivedya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; (अर्पणीय-भोज्यद्रव्यं)

• rakta-vastra-abhiveṣṭitam: wrapped in red cloth
• rakta-vastra-abhiveṣṭitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक) + vastra (प्रातिपदिक) + abhiveṣṭita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √veṣṭ ‘to wrap’, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: रक्तवस्त्रेण अभिवेष्टितम् (wrapped with red cloth)

• rakta-sūtreṇa: with a red thread
• rakta-sūtreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक) + sūtra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: रक्तं सूत्रम् (red thread)

• dīpam: a lamp
• dīpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): च (and)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): तथा (likewise)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Nipata (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): एव (indeed/just)

• ārārtikam: ārati (waving of lights)
• ārārtikam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārārtika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

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

Speaker

Deductive (Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration; likely Skanda instructing a kingly listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king) explicitly addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A red-cloth-wrapped naivedya bundle placed before Sūrya; a lamp with red thread burns brightly as the devotee performs ārati in circular motions.

Characters & Entities

• Divākara (implied)
• Naivedya (guḍaudana)
• Ārārtika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through disciplined offerings; color and form (red cloth/thread) reinforce focused remembrance of the deity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is part of a tīrtha-centered chapter, but the verse itself emphasizes ritual steps rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer guḍaudana as naivedya, wrap it in red cloth, light a lamp with red thread, and perform ārārtika.