Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5
गंधोदकेन च ततः पूजयेत्कुसुमोत्तमैः । तथैव विधिवद्भक्त्या सोऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत्
gaṃdhodakena ca tataḥ pūjayetkusumottamaiḥ | tathaiva vidhivadbhaktyā so'śvamedhaphalaṃ labhet
Then one should worship the Lord with fragrant water and the finest flowers. Performed according to rite and with devotion, that worshipper gains merit equal to the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice.
Unspecified in this snippet (context: Īśvara/Śiva speaking to Devī in Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya)
Tirtha: Gautameśvara (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)
Type: temple
Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)
Scene: The worship continues: the liṅga is sprinkled with fragrant water; heaps of fresh, ‘best’ flowers are offered; the devotee’s hands are in añjali; the atmosphere suggests a sacrifice transmuted into temple worship.
FAQs
Devotional worship performed correctly—simple offerings like fragrant water and flowers—can yield immense merit.
Prabhāsa Kṣetra, within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa’s Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya (here tied to the Gautameśvara context).
Pūjā using scented water (gandhodaka) and the best flowers, done vidhivat (according to injunction) with bhakti.