Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

यक्षकर्द्दमकैश्चैव विल्वपत्रैरखंडितैः । पालाशजातिपुष्पैश्च वटकैर्माषसंभवैः । पूपभक्तादिदालीभिस्तोषयेच्छाकसंचयैः

Transliteration

yakṣakarddamakaiścaiva vilvapatrairakhaṃḍitaiḥ | pālāśajātipuṣpaiśca vaṭakairmāṣasaṃbhavaiḥ | pūpabhaktādidālībhistoṣayecchākasaṃcayaiḥ

Translation

Et aussi avec des onguents yakṣa, avec des feuilles de bilva sans la moindre déchirure, avec des fleurs de pālāśa et de jasmin, et avec des vada (galettes) faits de gramme noir; avec des pūpa, du riz cuit et d’autres mets, qu’on comble (la Déesse) d’abondantes préparations de légumes.

Word by Word

• यक्षकर्दमकैः: with yakṣa-kardamaka (a kind of offering/mixture)
• यक्षकर्दमकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष + कर्दमक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यक्षस्य कर्दमकः) Instrumental plural

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

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle: indeed/just)

• विल्वपत्रैः: with bilva leaves
• विल्वपत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विल्व + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विल्वस्य पत्रम्) Instrumental plural

• अखण्डितैः: unbroken/undamaged
• अखण्डितैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + खण्डित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्—(पत्राणाम्) Instrumental plural adjective

• पालाशजातिपुष्पैः: with pālāśa and jāti flowers
• पालाशजातिपुष्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पालाश + जाति + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (पालाश-पुष्पैः + जाति-पुष्पैः) Instrumental plural

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

• वटकैः: with vata-cakes/dumplings
• वटकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वटक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• माषसंभवैः: made from māṣa (black gram)
• माषसंभवैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माष + संभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (माषात् संभवः) ‘made of black-gram’—विशेषणम् (वटकानाम्) Instrumental plural

• पूपभक्तादिदालीभिः: with portions/servings of pūpa, rice-food, etc.
• पूपभक्तादिदालीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूप + भक्त + आदि + दाली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—पूप-भक्त-आदि (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-समुच्चयार्थ) + दाली; Instrumental plural

• तोषयेत्: should satisfy/please
• तोषयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should satisfy/please’

• शाकसंचयैः: with collections of vegetables/greens
• शाकसंचयैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक + संचय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शाकानां संचयः) Instrumental plural

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa) implied

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual tray with glossy unbroken bilva leaves, jasmine and pālāśa blossoms, jars of scented unguents, and plates of vaṭaka, pūpa, rice, and vegetable preparations set before the Devī icon.

Characters & Entities

• Śrīmātā
• Dharmaputrikā
• Bilva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through generous, wholesome offerings; pleasing the Goddess includes feeding and abundance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Dharmāraṇya ritual stream; it does not single out a separate tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer unbroken bilva leaves, specified flowers, black-gram vadas, pūpas, cooked rice and side dishes, especially plentiful vegetable preparations.