Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

देवं संपूज्य विधिवद्गन्धपुष्पाक्षतादिभिः । मुच्यते पातकैः सर्वैः सप्तजन्मार्जितैरपि

Transliteration

devaṃ saṃpūjya vidhivadgandhapuṣpākṣatādibhiḥ | mucyate pātakaiḥ sarvaiḥ saptajanmārjitairapi

Translation

En vénérant le Seigneur selon le rite, avec parfums, fleurs, riz intact (akṣata) et autres offrandes, on est délivré de toutes les fautes, même de celles amassées durant sept naissances.

Word by Word

• देवम्: the deity
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• संपूज्य: having duly worshipped
• संपूज्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पूज् (धातु) → संपूज्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having worshipped)

• विधिवत्: according to rite
• विधिवत्: Adverbial (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (according to rule)

• गन्धपुष्पाक्षतादिभिः: with perfumes, flowers, rice-grains, etc.
• गन्धपुष्पाक्षतादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध + पुष्प + अक्षत + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (गन्धाः च पुष्पाणि च अक्षतानि च) + आदि; करण-निर्देशः

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is released)

• पातकैः: from sins
• पातकैः: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; वियोग/अपादानार्थे तृतीया (freed from)

• सर्वैः: all
• सर्वैः: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; पातकैः इति विशेषणम्

• सप्तजन्मार्जितैः: acquired over seven births
• सप्तजन्मार्जितैः: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त + जन्म + अर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सप्तजन्मसु अर्जिताः) पातकानां विशेषणम्

• अपि: even
• अपि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ-निपात (even/also)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ajogandheśvara (contextual) / Tripuṣkara-kunda vicinity

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/Umā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands before a liṅga, offering sandal paste, flowers, and akṣata; smoke of incense curls upward; a priest rings a bell; the atmosphere suggests a powerful absolution—darkness lifting, light intensifying around the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pūjā offerings (gandha, puṣpa, akṣata)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple, sincere, and rule-based worship is portrayed as powerfully purifying, dissolving even long-standing karmic burdens.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Ajogandheśvara/Ajogandha worship-context within Prabhāsa Kṣetra (Puṣkara Māhātmya setting).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vidhivat Śiva-pūjā using gandha (perfume), puṣpa (flowers), and akṣata (unbroken rice).