Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

कुसुमैर्वारिसंभूतैस्तुलस्या करवीरकैः । तद्देशसंभवैः पुष्पैः पूजयेद्गरुडध्वजम्

Transliteration

kusumairvārisaṃbhūtaistulasyā karavīrakaiḥ | taddeśasaṃbhavaiḥ puṣpaiḥ pūjayedgaruḍadhvajam

Translation

One should worship Viṣṇu, whose banner is Garuḍa, with flowers born of the waters, with tulasī, with karavīra (oleander) blossoms, and with flowers that grow in that very sacred region.

Word by Word

• kusumaiḥ: with flowers
• kusumaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kusuma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• vāri-saṃbhūtaiḥ: born in water
• vāri-saṃbhūtaiḥ: Karana (Qualifier/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāri + saṃbhūta (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (PPP: saṃbhūta), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural); विशेषणम् (of kusumaiḥ)

• tulasyā: with tulasī (holy basil)
• tulasyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tulasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया (instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• karavīrakaiḥ: with oleander flowers
• karavīrakaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karavīraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया (instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• tad-deśa-saṃbhavaiḥ: arising from that place (local)
• tad-deśa-saṃbhavaiḥ: Karana (Qualifier/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad + deśa + saṃbhava (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural); विशेषणम् (of puṣpaiḥ)

• puṣpaiḥ: with flowers
• puṣpaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• pūjayet: should worship
• pūjayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: लट्-विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• garuḍadhvajam: the one whose banner is Garuḍa (Vishnu)
• garuḍadhvajam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garuḍa + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā-kṣetra (local puṣpa-upacāra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees gather water-born lotuses and local blossoms; tulasī sprigs and karavīra flowers are arranged in brass plates before a Garuḍa-bannered Viṣṇu icon, with the sea-breeze entering the temple courtyard.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Garuḍa
• Tulasī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes complete when worship is performed with purity and with offerings drawn from the sacred landscape itself.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā and its sacred environs, especially the Gomatī region praised in the Dvārakā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Viṣṇu-pūjā using tulasī, aquatic flowers, and locally grown blossoms as offerings.