Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

स दध्नामधुनाज्येन नीरार्द्राक्षतदूर्व या । तिलैः कुशैः प्रसूनैस्तमष्टांगार्घ्यैरपूजयत्

Transliteration

sa dadhnāmadhunājyena nīrārdrākṣatadūrva yā | tilaiḥ kuśaiḥ prasūnaistamaṣṭāṃgārghyairapūjayat

Translation

അവൻ തൈര്, തേൻ, നെയ്യ്, ജലം, ജലത്തിൽ നനച്ച അക്ഷതവും ദൂർവയും, കൂടാതെ എള്ള്, കുശ, പുഷ്പങ്ങൾ—ഈ അഷ്ടാംഗ അർഘ്യങ്ങളാൽ അദ്ദേഹത്തെ ഭക്തിപൂർവം പൂജിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• दध्ना: with curd
• दध्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• मधुना: with honey
• मधुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• आज्येन: with ghee
• आज्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• नीरार्द्राक्षतदूर्वया: with water-moistened unbroken rice and dūrvā grass
• नीरार्द्राक्षतदूर्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीर + आर्द्र + अक्षत + दूर्वा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; अर्थः—नीरेण आर्द्राः अक्षताः दूर्वा च (water-moistened rice-grains and dūrvā grass)

• तिलैः: with sesame seeds
• तिलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• कुशैः: with kuśa grass
• कुशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• प्रसूनैः: with flowers
• प्रसूनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसून (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• अष्टाङ्गार्घ्यैः: with eightfold offerings (arghya)
• अष्टाङ्गार्घ्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट + अङ्ग + अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अष्ट अङ्गानि यस्य तत् अर्घ्यम् = eightfold offering); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• अपূजयत्: worshipped, honored
• अपূजयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: अप-

Speaker

Skanda (narrating to Agastya, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual tray with curd, honey, ghee, water, moist rice grains, dūrvā, sesame, kuśa, and flowers; the host offers aṣṭāṅga-arghya to the seated sage with focused devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Arghya
• Dūrvā
• Kuśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence becomes complete when expressed through proper ritual hospitality offered with devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred landscape; this verse illustrates the dharmic culture practiced in that holy realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aṣṭāṅga-arghya (eightfold arghya) using items such as dadhi, madhu, ājya, water, akṣata, dūrvā, tila, kuśa, and flowers (as listed in the verse).