Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

गंधालंकारवासांसि धूपदीपाक्षतादिकम् । विधाय कृत्रिमैर्दिव्यैर्नैवेद्यं चाप्यकल्पयत्

Transliteration

gaṃdhālaṃkāravāsāṃsi dhūpadīpākṣatādikam | vidhāya kṛtrimairdivyairnaivedyaṃ cāpyakalpayat

Translation

അവൻ സുഗന്ധങ്ങൾ, അലങ്കാരങ്ങൾ, വസ്ത്രങ്ങൾ, ധൂപം, ദീപം, അക്ഷതം മുതലായവ ഒരുക്കി; കൃത്രിമമായെങ്കിലും ദിവ്യശോഭയുള്ള വസ്തുക്കളാൽ നൈവേദ്യവും തയ്യാറാക്കി।

Word by Word

• गन्ध: fragrance, perfume
• गन्ध: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (stem used as compound-member)

• अलंकार: ornament, decoration
• अलंकार: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (compound-member)

• वासांसि: garments, clothes
• वासांसि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• धूप: incense
• धूप: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (compound-member)

• दीप: lamp
• दीप: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (compound-member)

• अक्षत: unbroken rice grains
• अक्षत: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (compound-member)

• आदिकम्: etc., and similar items
• आदिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘आदि’ = ‘and the like’ (qualifying the set)

• विधाय: having arranged/prepared
• विधाय: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having arranged/prepared’

• कृत्रिमैः: with artificial (made)
• कृत्रिमैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्रिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; qualifies ‘दिव्यैः’/offerings

• दिव्यैः: with divine/splendid (things)
• दिव्यैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• नैवेद्यम्: food-offering (naivedya)
• नैवेद्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• अकल्पयत्: he arranged/prepared
• अकल्पयत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense ‘arranged/caused to be prepared’

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, unspecified in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A child-devotee arranges a Śiva-pūjā: fragrant paste, ornaments and cloth, incense smoke curling upward, lamps glowing, akṣata in a small bowl, and a splendidly prepared naivedya set before a Śiva-liṅga or Śiva image.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expresses itself through upacāras (services/offerings); even improvised resources can be offered with purity of intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse functions as a general praise of Śiva-pūjā procedure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering gandha, vastra, dhūpa, dīpa, akṣata, and naivedya as parts of Śiva-pūjā is indicated.