Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

गंधसाररसैर्यं च सेवते मलयाचलः । कर्पूररंभा कर्पूरपूरैर्भक्त्या निषेवते

Transliteration

gaṃdhasārarasairyaṃ ca sevate malayācalaḥ | karpūraraṃbhā karpūrapūrairbhaktyā niṣevate

Translation

Le mont Malaya Le sert des essences les plus exquises et parfumées; et Karpūra-Rambhā L’adore avec des monceaux de camphre, par dévotion.

Word by Word

• gandha-sāra-rasaiḥ: with the essences/juices of fragrant extracts
• gandha-sāra-rasaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + sāra (प्रातिपदिक) + rasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गन्धस्य सारः इति गन्धसारः; गन्धसारस्य रसाः इति गन्धसाररसाः)

• yam: whom
• yam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• sevate: serves/worships
• sevate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sev (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• malaya-acalaḥ: the Malaya mountain
• malaya-acalaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: malaya (प्रातिपदिक) + acala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (मलयः अचलः इति)

• karpūra-raṃbhā: the camphor-like plantain (Rambhā)
• karpūra-raṃbhā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karpūra (प्रातिपदिक) + raṃbhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (कर्पूरसदृशी रम्भा)

• karpūra-pūraiḥ: with heaps/masses of camphor
• karpūra-pūraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karpūra (प्रातिपदिक) + pūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कर्पूरस्य पूराः)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• niṣevate: serves/worships (attends upon)
• niṣevate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√sev (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Viśveśvara/Śaṅkara-ālaya implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotional tableau: the Malaya mountain personified sending streams of fragrant essences toward Śiva’s abode; Karpūra-Rambhā (a celestial figure) offering heaps of camphor before a radiant Śiva-liṅga, with smoke and fragrance curling through the sanctum.

Characters & Entities

• Malayācala
• Karpūra-Rambhā
• Kāśī
• Śiva/Viśveśvara (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offering pure and elevating substances symbolizes inner purity; refined upacāras become vehicles of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, as the supreme seat of Śiva where even cosmic powers contribute to worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gandha (fragrant essence) and karpūra (camphor) offerings as devotional upacāras in Śiva-pūjā.