Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

मल्लिकाशतपत्रीभिः सिंदुवारैः सकिंशुकैः । अशोकैः करुणैः पुष्पैः पुन्नागैर्नागकेसरैः

Transliteration

mallikāśatapatrībhiḥ siṃduvāraiḥ sakiṃśukaiḥ | aśokaiḥ karuṇaiḥ puṣpaiḥ punnāgairnāgakesaraiḥ

Translation

—avec la mallikā et la śatapatrī, avec le sinduvāra et le kiṃśuka; avec les fleurs d’aśoka, avec des fleurs tendres (karuṇa), et avec le punnāga et le nāgakesara—

Word by Word

• मल्लिकाभिः: with mallikā (jasmine)
• मल्लिकाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mallikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.)

• शतपत्रीभिः: with hundred-petalled (flowers)
• शतपत्रीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata + patrī (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.); कर्मधारय (hundred-petalled)

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

• स: together with
• स: Sambandha (Association/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sa (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक उपसर्ग/निपात (particle meaning 'together with')

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

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

• करुणैः: tender/soft (or compassionate)
• करुणैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: karuṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.); विशेषण (qualifying puṣpaiḥ)

• पुष्पैः: with flowers
• पुष्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.)

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

• नागकेसरैः: with nāgakesara blossoms
• नागकेसरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga + kesara (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (nāgasya kesaraṃ = nāgakesara)

Speaker

Gaṇas (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Suvrata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garlands and heaps of jasmine (mallikā), hundred-petaled roses (śatapatrī), sinduvāra, kiṃśuka, aśoka, tender blossoms, punnāga and nāgakesara arranged in concentric patterns around the liṅga, with devotees stringing mālā.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)
• Viśveśvara (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti is expressed through attentive offering—choosing and presenting sacred flowers with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Śaiva worship culture centered on Viśveśvara, where such offerings are celebrated as meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuation of pushpa-pūjā: enumerating flowers suitable for offering in Śiva worship.