Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

चक्रे पूजां स्वयं तस्य स्नापयित्वा यथाविधि । बलिपूजोपहारांश्च विधानेन प्रयच्छति

Transliteration

cakre pūjāṃ svayaṃ tasya snāpayitvā yathāvidhi | balipūjopahārāṃśca vidhānena prayacchati

Translation

彼はみずからその御方を礼拝し、作法に従って神像を沐浴させ、さらに規定のとおりバリ供・儀礼の敬礼・その他のウパハーラを捧げた。

Word by Word

• चक्रे: performed; did
• चक्रे: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person); एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• पूजाम्: worship
• पूजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta (Agent-emphasis/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मकर्तृवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (oneself)

• तस्य: of him; of that (god)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) एकवचनम्

• स्नापयित्वा: having bathed (him); having caused to bathe
• स्नापयित्वा: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त causative (स्नापयति) क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः; पूर्वक्रिया

• यथा-विधि: according to the prescribed rite
• यथा-विधि: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (according to rule)

• बलि-पूजा-उपहारान्: offerings: oblations, worship-items, and gifts
• बलि-पूजा-उपहारान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक) + उपहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) बहुवचनम्; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (बलयः च पूजाः च उपहाराः च)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• विधानेन: by the proper procedure; duly
• विधानेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया) एकवचनम्; करणम् (by means of proper procedure)

• प्रयच्छति: offers; gives
• प्रयच्छति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person); एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration in Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garuḍa personally performs Śiva worship: ritual bathing (abhiṣeka) of the deity, then bali offerings and formal honors (upahāras) in exact prescribed sequence.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Śiva
• Pūjā
• Snāpana
• Bali
• Upahāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes complete when love is joined to vidhi—careful, scripturally aligned worship offered directly to the deity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within this Tīrthamāhātmya, the liṅga-site of the chapter is praised as a place where proper pūjā and snāpana yield heightened merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāpana/abhiṣeka “as per rule,” and the offering of bali, pūjā-honors, and upahāras according to prescribed procedure.