Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 153

Devanagari script

पूजोपहारैर्विपुलैः कुङ्कुमेन पुनःपुनः । श्लक्ष्णाभिः पुष्पमालाभिः कौसुम्भैः केसरेण च

Transliteration

pūjopahārairvipulaiḥ kuṅkumena punaḥpunaḥ | ślakṣṇābhiḥ puṣpamālābhiḥ kausumbhaiḥ kesareṇa ca

Translation

Par de riches offrandes de culte—à maintes reprises avec le kuṅkuma—qu’on l’orne de guirlandes de fleurs délicates, de fleurs de carthame (kausumbha) et aussi de filaments de safran (kesara).

Word by Word

• pūjā: worship
• pūjā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनम्; समासपूर्वपदम्

• upahāraiḥ: with offerings
• upahāraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upahāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्

• vipulaiḥ: abundant
• vipulaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vipula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (upahāraiḥ)

• kuṅkumena: with saffron/vermillion
• kuṅkumena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṅkuma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचनम्

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/आवृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: repetition)

• punaḥ: again (repeatedly)
• punaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/आवृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: repetition)

• ślakṣṇābhiḥ: smooth/soft
• ślakṣṇābhiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ślakṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (puṣpamālābhiḥ)

• puṣpamālābhiḥ: with flower-garlands
• puṣpamālābhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: पुष्पाणां माला), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनम्

• kausumbhaiḥ: made of safflower (kusumbha) / reddish
• kausumbhaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kausumbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (upahāraiḥ/puṣpamālābhiḥ—contextual)

• kesareṇa: with pollen/saffron filaments
• kesareṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kesara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचनम्

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mādhūkāvāsa (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close view of the icon being adorned: hands applying red kuṅkuma repeatedly, layering soft flower garlands; safflower hues and saffron filaments scattered like golden-red sparks around the deity.

Characters & Entities

• Kuṅkuma
• Kesara (saffron)
• Kusumbha (safflower)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through beauty and repetition—steady, heartfelt adornment becomes a language of reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa’s Narmadā-region observance context; this verse emphasizes the pūjā method rather than a named shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform abundant pūjā offerings, repeatedly applying kuṅkuma and adorning with soft garlands, safflower flowers, and saffron.