Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पञ्चोपचारपूजायामर्चयेन्नन्दिकेश्वरम् । रत्नानि चैव विप्रेभ्यो यो दद्याद्धर्मनन्दन

Transliteration

pañcopacārapūjāyāmarcayennandikeśvaram | ratnāni caiva viprebhyo yo dadyāddharmanandana

Translation

പഞ്ചോപചാരങ്ങളാൽ നന്ദികേശ്വരനെ പൂജിക്കണം; ബ്രാഹ്മണർക്കു രത്നങ്ങൾ ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ, ഹേ ധർമനന്ദന।

Word by Word

• पञ्चोपचारपूजायाम्: in the worship with five offerings
• पञ्चोपचारपूजायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + उपचार (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—पञ्च उपचाराः यस्यां सा पूजा (द्विगु/तत्पुरुष-प्राय), तस्याम्

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नन्दिकेश्वरम्: Nandikeśvara
• नन्दिकेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दि (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—नन्देः ईश्वरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष), तम्

• रत्नानि: gems
• रत्नानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• विप्रेभ्यः: to the brāhmaṇas
• विप्रेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), बहुवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सापेक्ष-सर्वनाम

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• धर्मनन्दन: O son of Dharma
• धर्मनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—धर्मस्य नन्दनः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nandikeśvara at Nandinātha (Narmadā-taṭa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs pañcopacāra pūjā before a Śiva-liṅga identified as Nandikeśvara; nearby, brāhmaṇas receive ratna-dāna in a formal gifting moment.

Characters & Entities

• Nandikeśvara
• Brāhmaṇas
• Dharmanandana (Yudhiṣṭhira)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha devotion is fulfilled through worship (pūjā) and generosity (dāna), honoring both deity and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nanditīrtha/Nandinātha on the Narmadā, where Nandikeśvara is worshipped.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pañcopacāra-pūjā (five-offering worship) to Nandikeśvara, and dāna of jewels to brāhmaṇas.