Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

आनीय पुष्पसंभारमार्तवं काननाद्बहु । स्नात्वाभ्यर्चयतीशानं कंदमूलफलाशनः

Transliteration

ānīya puṣpasaṃbhāramārtavaṃ kānanādbahu | snātvābhyarcayatīśānaṃ kaṃdamūlaphalāśanaḥ

Translation

കാട്ടിൽ നിന്ന് ঋതുസമയത്തെ ധാരാളം പുഷ്പങ്ങൾ ശേഖരിച്ചു കൊണ്ടുവന്ന്, സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത്, കന്ദം-മൂലം-ഫലം ആഹാരമാക്കി, അവൻ ഈശാനനെ പൂജിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• आनीय: having brought
• आनीय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) ‘having brought’

• पुष्पसंभारम्: a collection of flowers
• पुष्पसंभारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प + संभार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुष्पाणां संभारः)

• आर्तवम्: seasonal
• आर्तवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्तव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पुष्पसंभारम्)

• काननात्: from the forest
• काननात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• बहु: much, plentiful
• बहु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पुष्पसंभारम्)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) ‘having bathed’

• अभ्यर्चयत्: worshipped
• अभ्यर्चयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ईशानम्: Īśāna (Śiva)
• ईशानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कन्दमूलफलाशनः: one who eats roots, tubers, and fruits
• कन्दमूलफलाशनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कन्द + मूल + फल + आशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (कन्द-मूल-फलानि आशनं यस्य/कन्दमूलफल-आशनः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devotee returns from the forest with armfuls of seasonal flowers, bathes, and worships the liṅga; his simple ascetic meal of roots and fruits is nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Īśāna
• Forest (kānana)
• Flowers (puṣpa)
• Snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple, pure offerings and disciplined living, joined with bathing and worship, are powerful forms of Śiva-bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sacred sphere, where worship of Īśāna/Viśveśvara is especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) followed by abhyarcana (worship) with seasonal flowers; austere diet of roots/fruits as a tapas-support.