Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

आनीय पुष्पसंभारमार्तवं काननाद्बहु । स्नात्वाभ्यर्चयतीशानं कंदमूलफलाशनः

Transliteration

ānīya puṣpasaṃbhāramārtavaṃ kānanādbahu | snātvābhyarcayatīśānaṃ kaṃdamūlaphalāśanaḥ

Translation

Apportant de la forêt d’abondantes gerbes de fleurs de saison, après s’être baigné et se nourrissant de bulbes, de racines et de fruits, il adora Īśāna.

Word by Word

• आनीय: having brought
• आनीय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) ‘having brought’

• पुष्पसंभारम्: a collection of flowers
• पुष्पसंभारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प + संभार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुष्पाणां संभारः)

• आर्तवम्: seasonal
• आर्तवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्तव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पुष्पसंभारम्)

• काननात्: from the forest
• काननात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• बहु: much, plentiful
• बहु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पुष्पसंभारम्)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) ‘having bathed’

• अभ्यर्चयत्: worshipped
• अभ्यर्चयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ईशानम्: Īśāna (Śiva)
• ईशानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कन्दमूलफलाशनः: one who eats roots, tubers, and fruits
• कन्दमूलफलाशनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कन्द + मूल + फल + आशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (कन्द-मूल-फलानि आशनं यस्य/कन्दमूलफल-आशनः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devotee returns from the forest with armfuls of seasonal flowers, bathes, and worships the liṅga; his simple ascetic meal of roots and fruits is nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Īśāna
• Forest (kānana)
• Flowers (puṣpa)
• Snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple, pure offerings and disciplined living, joined with bathing and worship, are powerful forms of Śiva-bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sacred sphere, where worship of Īśāna/Viśveśvara is especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) followed by abhyarcana (worship) with seasonal flowers; austere diet of roots/fruits as a tapas-support.