Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

धूपं कुंकुमजं प्रोक्तं कर्पूरप्राशनं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

dhūpaṃ kuṃkumajaṃ proktaṃ karpūraprāśanaṃ smṛtam

Translation

Il est déclaré que l’encens est fait de kuṅkuma (safran), et l’on se souvient que la prise rituelle (prāśana) de camphre est l’observance juste.

Word by Word

• धूपम्: incense
• धूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• कुङ्कुम-जम्: made from saffron/vermillion
• कुङ्कुम-जम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुङ्कुम (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (कृदन्त; √जन् धातु, ‘born/produced’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; adjectival)

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √वच् (धातु) ; प्रोक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगे ‘said/declared’ (Past passive participle)

• कर्पूर-प्राशनम्: camphor-ingestion (camphor to be eaten)
• कर्पूर-प्राशनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्पूर (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• स्मृतम्: is regarded (as)
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्मृ (धातु) ; स्मृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘remembered/considered’ (Past passive participle used predicatively)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small shrine scene: saffron-tinted incense smoke rising from a burner; a devotee holds a tiny camphor piece for prāśana after offering, with Sūrya’s radiance depicted behind the icon.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāskara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and devotion are expressed through specific, sattvic offerings in Sūrya worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a Tīrthamāhātmya context, but this particular line emphasizes ritual method rather than naming a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer saffron-based incense and perform camphor prāśana (tasting/ingestion as a sanctified rite).