Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्भवांतरे शंभोराराधनपरेण च । ततो निरूपिता जाता बकपुष्पपुरस्सराः

Transliteration

tasminbhavāṃtare śaṃbhorārādhanapareṇa ca | tato nirūpitā jātā bakapuṣpapurassarāḥ

Translation

Dans cette existence antérieure, voué à l’adoration de Śambhu, il fut établi des dispositions rituelles, conduites par des offrandes de fleurs de bakā.

Word by Word

• tasmin: in that
• tasmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन

• bhavāntare: in another birth
• bhavāntare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhava + antara (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• śaṃbhoḥ: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• śaṃbhoḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• ārādhana: worship
• ārādhana: Samasa-member (Compound part)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ā + rādh (धातु) → ārādhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (समासपूर्वपद)

• para: devoted
• para: Kartr̥ (Agent/instrumental/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन; with -eṇa: pareṇa = ‘by one devoted’

• ārādhanapareṇa: by (me) devoted to worship
• ārādhanapareṇa: Kartr̥ (Agent/instrumental/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ārādhana + para (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (आराधने परः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

• nirūpitā: was determined/appointed
• nirūpitā: Kriya (Passive-result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir + rūp (धातु) → nirūpita (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; agrees with implied feminine subject (e.g., buddhiḥ/niyatiḥ) or with jātā

• jātā: was born/occurred
• jātā: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु) → jāta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• baka: crane (bird)
• baka: Samasa-member (Compound part)
• Type: Noun
• Root: baka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; (समासपूर्वपद)

• puṣpa: flower
• puṣpa: Samasa-member (Compound part)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (समासमध्यपद)

• purassarāḥ: going in front, leading
• purassarāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puras + sara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पुरः सरन्ति/पुरतः सराः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• bakapuṣpapurassarāḥ: having crane-flowers as leaders/foremost (i.e., preceded by baka-flowers)
• bakapuṣpapurassarāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: baka + puṣpa + purassarāḥ (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (बकपुष्पं पुरः सरन्ति/येषां ते), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa discourse, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Temple attendants arrange baskets of bakā-flowers at dawn; the king-devotee supervises as priests prepare the liṅga for worship—garlands, lamps, and water vessels laid out in order.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-minded worship (ārādhana) of Śiva, even through simple offerings like flowers, is emphasized as transformative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific location is mentioned in this verse; the focus is on Śiva-devotion and offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering flowers in the worship of Śambhu (Śiva), with bakā-flowers highlighted as prominent.