Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 144
बिल्वस्य प्रसवाग्रेण त्रिपत्रेण प्रजायते । एकेनापि यथातुष्टिस्तथान्येषां न कोटिभिः
bilvasya prasavāgreṇa tripatreṇa prajāyate | ekenāpi yathātuṣṭistathānyeṣāṃ na koṭibhiḥ
Du tendre bourgeon du bilva naît l’offrande à trois feuilles ; d’une seule feuille ainsi, Śiva se trouve comblé, tandis qu’avec des crores d’autres offrandes on n’obtient pas la même satisfaction.
Narrator (continuing Śaiva praise within the māhātmya frame)
Scene: Close-up focus on a tender bilva sprout and a perfect three-leaf cluster being placed on a Śiva-liṅga, emphasizing simplicity and potency over abundance.
FAQs
Quality and sacred appropriateness of devotion matter more than quantity—one proper bilva offering can surpass innumerable other gifts.
This is a general Śaiva ritual-mahātmya embedded in a tīrtha narrative; the verse itself praises bilva-arcana rather than naming a particular tīrtha.
Offer the tri-patra (three-leafed) bilva leaf to Śiva; even a single proper bilva leaf is said to be highly efficacious.