Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पूजयेल्लोहितं भक्त्या गन्धमाल्यविभूषणैः । संस्थाप्यस्थण्डिले देवं रक्तचन्दनचर्चितम्

Transliteration

pūjayellohitaṃ bhaktyā gandhamālyavibhūṣaṇaiḥ | saṃsthāpyasthaṇḍile devaṃ raktacandanacarcitam

Translation

ഭക്തിയോടെ ഗന്ധം, മാല, ആഭരണങ്ങൾ എന്നിവകൊണ്ട് ലോഹിതൻ (കുജ/അംഗാരക)നെ പൂജിക്കണം; ശുദ്ധസ്ഥണ്ഡിലത്തിൽ ദേവനെ സ്ഥാപിച്ച് രക്തചന്ദനലേപനം ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (विधि-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• लोहितम्: Lohita (Mars/Aṅgāraka)
• लोहितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); देवता-नाम (Aṅgāraka/Maṅgala)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• गन्धमाल्यविभूषणैः: with perfumes, garlands, and ornaments
• गन्धमाल्यविभूषणैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध-माल्य-विभूषण (प्रातिपदिक; गन्ध + माल्य + विभूषण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• संस्थाप्य: having installed/placed
• संस्थाप्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + स्थाप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• स्थण्डिले: on the (prepared) altar/ground
• स्थण्डिले: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थण्डिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवम्: the deity
• देवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• रक्तचन्दनचर्चितम्: smeared with red sandalwood
• रक्तचन्दनचर्चितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त-चन्दन-चर्चित (प्रातिपदिक; रक्त + चन्दन + चर्चित (चर्च्-धातोः क्त))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् of देवम्

Speaker

Deductive: Narrative instruction within Revā Khaṇḍa (speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aṅgāraka-Śiva Tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpāla (the King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual altar on the riverbank: a circular sthaṇḍila with a central icon/yantra for Aṅgāraka, richly anointed with red sandal; garlands and ornaments laid out; devotees in reverent posture.

Characters & Entities

• Lohita (Kuja/Aṅgāraka)
• Deva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through proper, reverent ritual order (installation and anointing) sanctifies graha-upāsanā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Revā (Narmadā) sacred tradition in the Revā Khaṇḍa, though this verse focuses on worship procedure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Install the deity on a sthaṇḍila and worship with fragrance, garlands, ornaments, and red sandal paste.