Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

गन्धमाल्यैस्तथा धूपैस्ततः सम्पूजयेच्छिवम् । अनेन विधिनाभ्यर्च्य शिखितीर्थे महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

gandhamālyaistathā dhūpaistataḥ sampūjayecchivam | anena vidhinābhyarcya śikhitīrthe maheśvaram

Translation

ನಂತರ ಸುಗಂಧ, ಪುಷ್ಪಮಾಲೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಧೂಪದಿಂದ ಶಿವನನ್ನು ಯಥಾವಿಧಿ ಸಮ್ಯಕವಾಗಿ ಪೂಜಿಸಬೇಕು. ಈ ವಿಧಿಯಿಂದ ಶಿಖಿತೀರ್ಥದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಹೇಶ್ವರನನ್ನು ಅರ್ಚಿಸಿದವನು ಫಲವನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯುತ್ತಾನೆ.

Word by Word

• गन्धमाल्यैः: with perfumes and garlands
• गन्धमाल्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध + माल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (गन्धाश्च माल्यानि च)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• धूपैः: with incense
• धूपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequencer/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: thereafter/from that)

• सम्पूजयेत्: should worship fully
• सम्पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विधिना: by the prescribed method
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकर्म (having worshipped)

• शिखितीर्थे: at Śikhi-tīrtha
• शिखितीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखि + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिखिनः तीर्थम्)

• महेश्वरम्: Mahēśvara (the great Lord)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śikhitīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Śikhitīrtha, a devotee performs Śiva-pūjā: applying fragrant paste, placing garlands, and waving incense before a liṅga or Śiva icon, with the river nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Maheśvara
• Śikhitīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes complete when inner reverence is expressed through disciplined worship and proper offerings to Śiva at a sanctified site.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śikhitīrtha, where Maheśvara is to be worshipped by prescribed pūjā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Śiva-pūjā using gandha (fragrance), mālya (garlands), and dhūpa (incense) according to the stated method.