Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

राजचंपकधत्तूर करवीरकुशेशयैः । मालती कर्णिकारैश्च कदंबैर्बकुलोत्पलैः

Transliteration

rājacaṃpakadhattūra karavīrakuśeśayaiḥ | mālatī karṇikāraiśca kadaṃbairbakulotpalaiḥ

Translation

Avec le campaka royal, le dhattūra, le karavīra et le kuśeśaya aux fleurs de lotus, ainsi qu’avec la mālatī, le karṇikāra, le kadamba, le bakula et l’utpala—

Word by Word

• राजचम्पक: with royal campaka flowers
• राजचम्पक: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāja + campaka (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.) (elliptically governed by -aiḥ in list); कर्मधारय (royal campaka)

• धत्तूरैः: with dhattūra flowers
• धत्तूरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhattūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.)

• करवीर: with oleander (karavīra)
• करवीर: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karavīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.) (elliptically in list)

• कुशेशयैः: with lotuses (water-lilies)
• कुशेशयैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśeśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.)

• मालती: with mālatī (jasmine)
• मालती: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mālatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.) (elliptically in list)

• कर्णिकारैः: with karṇikāra flowers
• कर्णिकारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karṇikāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• कदम्बैः: with kadamba flowers
• कदम्बैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kadamba (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.)

• बकुलैः: with bakula flowers
• बकुलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bakula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.) (elliptically in list)

• उत्पलैः: with blue lotuses (utpala)
• उत्पलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: utpala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.)

Speaker

Gaṇas (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Suvrata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A close, sensorial tableau of Śiva worship: heaps of campaka, dhattūra, karavīra, lotus-like blooms, mālatī, karṇikāra, kadamba, bakula, and utpala arranged before the liṅga, with lamps and incense.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)
• Viśveśvara (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional beauty—offering nature’s finest blossoms—becomes a vehicle for honoring Śiva in the sacred kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Śiva-worship tradition (Viśveśvara context), expressed through prescribed floral offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pushpa-pūjā: offering specific flowers in worship (continued in the next verse).