Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अयोनिजे महादेवं स्नापयेद्गन्धवारिणा । मधुक्षीरेण दध्ना वा स लभेद्विपुलां श्रियम्

Transliteration

ayonije mahādevaṃ snāpayedgandhavāriṇā | madhukṣīreṇa dadhnā vā sa labhedvipulāṃ śriyam

Translation

Si l’on baigne Mahādeva, l’Ayonija, avec de l’eau parfumée, ou avec du miel, du lait ou du caillé, on obtient une prospérité abondante et une fortune de bon augure.

Word by Word

• अयोनिजे: O Ayonija (unborn one)
• अयोनिजे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-योनिज (प्रातिपदिक; अ + योनिज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• महादेवम्: Mahādeva
• महादेवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक; महा + देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (accusative singular)

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (him)/cause to be bathed
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त causative (स्नापय), विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• गन्धवारिणा: with scented water
• गन्धवारिणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध + वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• मधुक्षीरेण: with honey and milk
• मधुक्षीरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु + क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (instrumental singular; mixture/collective)

• दध्ना: with curd
• दध्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle ‘or’)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• विपुलाम्: abundant
• विपुलाम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (accusative singular), श्रियम् इति विशेषण (qualifying)

• श्रियम्: prosperity
• श्रियम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (accusative singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic speaker within Revā Khaṇḍa; traditionally Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relaying the māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest/devotee pours fragrant water, then streams of honey, milk, and curd over a Śiva-liṅga; the liquids glisten as they flow into a yoni-pīṭha channel, with lamps and flowers surrounding.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Mahādeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent abhiṣeka to Śiva is portrayed as dharmic worship that brings both worldly auspiciousness and spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Revā Khaṇḍa milieu (the Narmadā/Revā sacred landscape) frames the instruction, even when a single tirtha is not named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-abhiṣeka using fragrant water, honey, milk, or curd.