Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

अशोकवर्तिनैवेद्यैर्धूपैश्चागुरुसंभवैः । कुंकुमेनानुलिप्यादावेकभक्तं ततश्चरेत्

Transliteration

aśokavartinaivedyairdhūpaiścāgurusaṃbhavaiḥ | kuṃkumenānulipyādāvekabhaktaṃ tataścaret

Translation

അശോകസംബന്ധമായ നൈവേദ്യങ്ങളും അഗുരുവിൽ നിന്നുള്ള ധൂപവും കൊണ്ട് (ദേവിയെ) പൂജിക്കണം; ആദ്യം കുങ്കുമം അനുലേപനം ചെയ്ത്, തുടർന്ന് ഏകഭക്തവ്രതം—ഒരിക്കൽ മാത്രം ഭക്ഷണം—ആചരിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• अशोकवर्ति: aśoka-based
• अशोकवर्ति: Kriya-viseshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशोक (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप; अशोके वर्ति (aśoka-based/with aśoka) — used as पूर्वपद in compound

• नैवेद्यैः: with food-offerings
• नैवेद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; instrument/means of worship

• धूपैः: with incense
• धूपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

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

• अगुरुसंभवैः: made from aguru
• अगुरुसंभवैः: Karana (Instrument-qualifier/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अगुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + संभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अगुरोः संभवाः (arising from aguru) — qualifies धूपैः

• कुंकुमेन: with saffron/vermilion
• कुंकुमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुङ्कुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• अनुलिप्य: having anointed
• अनुलिप्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + लिप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having anointed/smeared’

• आदौ: at the beginning
• आदौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; adverbial locative ‘at first’

• एकभक्तम्: single-meal observance
• एकभक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; एकं भक्तं (single meal/once-a-day eating)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thereafter)

• चरेत्: should practise
• चरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी; ‘should practise/undertake’

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Gaurī altar richly scented: aguru incense smoke curls upward; the deity is anointed with kuṅkuma; offerings include Aśoka-prepared foods; the devotee later eats a single simple meal.

Characters & Entities

• Aśoka
• Aguru
• Kuṅkuma
• Ekabhakta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity and beauty unite in worship: fragrant offerings and sacred anointing culminate in disciplined simplicity (one meal).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī remains the textual sacred setting in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; this verse chiefly details vrata practice rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer Aśoka-associated naivedya, present aguru incense, anoint with kuṅkuma, and keep ekabhakta (one meal) as the dietary rule.