Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

भक्त्या तु पूजयेत्पश्चात्स लभेत्फलमुत्तमम् । बिल्वपत्रैरखण्डैश्च पुष्पैरुन्मत्तकोद्भवैः

Transliteration

bhaktyā tu pūjayetpaścātsa labhetphalamuttamam | bilvapatrairakhaṇḍaiśca puṣpairunmattakodbhavaiḥ

Translation

Ensuite, qu’on l’adore avec bhakti; il obtient le fruit suprême : avec des feuilles de bilva intactes et des fleurs, telles celles nées du dhattūra (unmatta).

Word by Word

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विशेषणार्थक (particle: indeed)

• pūjayet: should worship
• pūjayet: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• paścāt: afterwards
• paścāt: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paścāt (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: afterwards)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• labhet: should obtain
• labhet: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• phalam: fruit, result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• uttamam: excellent, best
• uttamam: Karma (Qualifier of object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (of phalam)

• bilvapatraiḥ: with bilva leaves
• bilvapatraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bilva + patra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (bilvasya patram)

• akhaṇḍaiḥ: unbroken, whole
• akhaṇḍaiḥ: Karana (Qualifier of instrument/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a + khaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (of bilvapatraiḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• puṣpaiḥ: with flowers
• puṣpaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• unmattakodbhavaiḥ: born from the unmattaka plant
• unmattakodbhavaiḥ: Karana (Qualifier of instrument/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: unmattaka + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (unmattakāt udbhavāḥ) विशेषण (of puṣpaiḥ)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs archana to a Śiva-liṅga, placing glossy unbroken bilva leaves and pale dhattūra blossoms; the shrine is fragrant, with a calm yet potent Śaiva aura.

Characters & Entities

• Bilva
• Dhattūra (Unmatta)
• Śiva-pūjā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti is central; specific traditional offerings (bilva, dhattūra flowers) embody focused devotion to Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gautameśvara/Revā tīrtha praised throughout Adhyāya 179.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship Śiva using unbroken bilva leaves and dhattūra (unmatta) flowers.