Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

कर्णिकारैश्च कह्लारैः करवीरैः सितारुणैः । चंपकैः केतकीभिश्च जपा कुसुमकैस्तथा

Transliteration

karṇikāraiśca kahlāraiḥ karavīraiḥ sitāruṇaiḥ | caṃpakaiḥ ketakībhiśca japā kusumakaistathā

Translation

Qu’on rende un culte orné avec des fleurs de karṇikāra, des lotus kahlāra, des karavīra blancs et rouges, ainsi que des campaka, des ketakī et des fleurs d’hibiscus.

Word by Word

• कर्णिकारैः: with karṇikāra flowers
• कर्णिकारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्णिकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

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

• कह्लारैः: with kahlāra (lotus) flowers
• कह्लारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कह्लार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• करवीरैः: with oleander flowers
• करवीरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करवीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• सितारुणैः: white and red (in color)
• सितारुणैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित + अरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्—(कर्णिकारादीनाम्) Instrumental plural adjective; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (white-and-red)

• चंपकैः: with campaka flowers
• चंपकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चंपक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• केतकीभिः: with ketakī flowers
• केतकीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केतकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

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

• जपा: hibiscus (japā)
• जपा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (जातिनाम; समुच्चयार्थे); Nominative singular used in listing

• कुसुमकैः: with small flowers/blossoms
• कुसुमकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुसुमक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—उपमान/समुच्चयार्थक (adverb: likewise/also)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa (deductively a Purāṇic teacher addressing a King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa) implied by surrounding verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Devī altar richly adorned with mixed blossoms—golden karṇikāra, pale kahlāra lotuses, white-red karavīra, campaka, ketakī, and red hibiscus—arranged in garlands and heaps before the Goddess.

Characters & Entities

• Śrīmātā
• Dharmaputrikā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offering flowers symbolizes heartfelt reverence; beauty in worship reflects attentiveness to the Divine Mother.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya’s Devi-worship setting is implied; the verse enumerates offerings rather than geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer specific flowers—karṇikāra, kahlāra, karavīra (white/red), campaka, ketakī, and japā.