Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

सुगंधचंदनरसैर्लिंगमालिप्य भक्तितः । आलिप्यते सुरस्त्रीभिः सुगंधैर्यक्षकर्दमैः

Transliteration

sugaṃdhacaṃdanarasairliṃgamālipya bhaktitaḥ | ālipyate surastrībhiḥ sugaṃdhairyakṣakardamaiḥ

Translation

En oignant le Liṅga d’une pâte de santal au parfum suave, avec dévotion, on accomplit l’acte même pour lequel les femmes célestes l’oignent de fragrances, tels des onguents des yakṣas.

Word by Word

• sugandha-candana-rasaiḥ: with fragrant sandal-essences
• sugandha-candana-rasaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + candana (प्रातिपदिक) + rasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः: ‘with juices/essences of fragrant sandal’

• liṅgam: the liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• ālipya: having anointed
• ālipya: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√lip (लिप्, लेपने) क्त्वान्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त: ‘having anointed/smeared’

• bhaktitaḥ: devoutly
• bhaktitaḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय: ‘out of devotion’

• ālipyate: is anointed
• ālipyate: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√lip (लिप्, लेपने)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive): ‘is anointed’

• sura-strībhiḥ: by heavenly women
• sura-strībhiḥ: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्मणि कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः: ‘by celestial women’

• sugandhaiḥ: fragrant
• sugandhaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-gandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (यक्षकर्दमैः)

• yakṣa-kardamaiḥ: with yakṣa-pastes (fragrant unguents)
• yakṣa-kardamaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + kardama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः: ‘with yakṣa-muds/pastes’

Speaker

Śiva (continuing praise of Liṅga-upacāras in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī Liṅga (Liṅgarāja)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Amarāḥ (devas/immortals)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees apply fragrant sandal paste to the liṅga; in a parallel celestial layer, apsarases/sura-strīs perform the same act with rare perfumed unguents, suggesting the devotee’s act equals heavenly service.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Candana (sandal)
• Sura-strī (celestial women)
• Yakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offering beauty and fragrance to the divine symbol is honored as a high devotional service, mirroring celestial worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, by depicting exalted, heaven-like worship of the revered Liṅga situated in its sacred realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gandha-upacāra: anointing the Liṅga with fragrant sandal paste and perfumes as part of pūjā.