Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

फलपल्लवपुष्पाद्यैस्तोरणैश्च समन्वितम् । पंचवर्णैश्च तन्मध्ये रजोभिः पद्ममुद्धरेत्

Transliteration

phalapallavapuṣpādyaistoraṇaiśca samanvitam | paṃcavarṇaiśca tanmadhye rajobhiḥ padmamuddharet

Translation

ഫലങ്ങൾ, কোমള പല്ലവങ്ങൾ, പുഷ്പാദികൾ എന്നിവകൊണ്ടുള്ള തോരണങ്ങളാൽ പൂജാസ്ഥലം അലങ്കരിക്കണം; നടുവിൽ പഞ്ചവർണ്ണ രജസ്സുകൊണ്ട് പദ്മരൂപം വരയ്ക്കണം.

Word by Word

• फल: fruit
• फल: Samānādhikaraṇa/Viśeṣya (appositional member in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative, singular)

• पल्लव: sprout/leaf-bud
• पल्लव: Samānādhikaraṇa/Viśeṣya (member in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पल्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, nominative/accusative, singular)

• पुष्प: flower
• पुष्प: Samānādhikaraṇa/Viśeṣya (member in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative, singular)

• आद्यैः: and other (items), etc.
• आद्यैः: Karaṇa (instrument/means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masc/neut, instrumental, plural); ‘आदि’ = ‘etc.’ used adjectivally

• तोरणैः: with festoons/arches (decorations)
• तोरणैः: Karaṇa (instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (neuter, instrumental, plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• समन्वितम्: endowed/combined (with)
• समन्वितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier of implied object/arrangement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+अन्वि (धातु) → समन्वित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nom/acc, sg)

• पञ्चवर्णैः: with five colors
• पञ्चवर्णैः: Karaṇa (instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (संख्यापूर्वपद), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masc, instrumental, plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (समासपूर्वपद-रूप), एकवचन (pronoun, neuter, genitive, singular)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikaraṇa (location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (neuter, locative, singular)

• रजोभिः: with powders/dusts
• रजोभिः: Karaṇa (instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (neuter, instrumental, plural)

• पद्मम्: a lotus (design)
• पद्मम्: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, accusative, singular)

• उद्धरेत्: should draw/raise (form)
• उद्धरेत्: Kriyā (verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+√हृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (optative, parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular)

Speaker

Unknown (narrative instruction within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sanctified worship-space hung with toraṇas of fruits, tender leaves, and flowers; at the center a freshly drawn five-colored lotus-maṇḍala on the ground, ready for installation rites.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred worship begins with creating an auspicious, beauty-filled space that supports devotion and mental purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it gives a general Śaiva worship procedure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Decorate with toraṇas of fruits/leaves/flowers and draw a five-colored lotus (padma-maṇḍala) in the center using colored powders.