Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

स्थापयेन्मोदकैः सार्धं चतुर्थं करकं बुधः । सूत्रेण वेष्टितग्रीवं गन्धमाल्यैरलंकृतम्

Transliteration

sthāpayenmodakaiḥ sārdhaṃ caturthaṃ karakaṃ budhaḥ | sūtreṇa veṣṭitagrīvaṃ gandhamālyairalaṃkṛtam

Translation

Le sage doit placer une quatrième jarre rituelle avec des modaka. Que son col soit entouré d’un fil, et qu’elle soit parée de parfums et de guirlandes.

Word by Word

• स्थापयेत्: should place
• स्थापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (प्रयोजक)
• Form: विधिलिङ्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन — ‘should place’

• मोदकैः: with sweets (modakas)
• मोदकैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (सह/करण); बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Sambandha (Accompaniment-marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-निपात — indeclinable meaning ‘together with’

• चतुर्थम्: the fourth
• चतुर्थम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन — ordinal adjective qualifying करकम्

• करकम्: water-pot; vessel
• करकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म); एकवचन

• बुधः: the wise man
• बुधः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता); एकवचन — Nominative singular

• सूत्रेण: with a thread
• सूत्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण); एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• वेष्टितग्रीवम्: having its neck wrapped
• वेष्टितग्रीवम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेष्टित (कृदन्त; √वेष्ट् धातु, क्त) + ग्रीवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन — qualifying करकम्; समासः (तत्पुरुष): वेष्टिता ग्रीवा यस्य तत्

• गन्धमाल्यैः: with perfumes and garlands
• गन्धमाल्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + माल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण); बहुवचन — ‘with perfumes and garlands’; समासः (द्वन्द्व)

• अलंकृतम्: adorned; decorated
• अलंकृतम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलंकृत (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु, क्त, उपसर्ग अलम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन — past passive participle qualifying करकम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha milieu

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍunandana (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fourth ritual pot is set down; modakas arranged neatly; the pot’s neck is bound with a sacred thread and adorned with fragrant paste and garlands, creating a festive altar tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Modaka
• Karaka
• Sūtra
• Gandha
• Mālya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer adornment—when guided by wisdom—becomes a vehicle for inner reverence and disciplined worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to the Revā-khaṇḍa’s devotional framework around the Narmadā region; no single tirtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Set a fourth pot with modakas; wrap the neck with thread and decorate with fragrance and garlands.