Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

न मालती न मंदारः शतपत्रं न मल्लिका । तथा प्रियाणि श्रीवृक्षो यथा मदनविद्विषः

Transliteration

na mālatī na maṃdāraḥ śatapatraṃ na mallikā | tathā priyāṇi śrīvṛkṣo yathā madanavidviṣaḥ

Translation

മാലതി അല്ല, മന്ദാരം അല്ല, ശതപത്രപദ്മം അല്ല, മല്ലികയും അല്ല—മദനവിദ്വേഷിയായ ശിവന് ശ്രീവൃക്ഷം (ബില്വം) പോലെ പ്രിയമായത് മറ്റൊന്നുമില്ല.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (particle of negation)

• मालती: mālatī flower
• मालती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मालती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• न: nor
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्

• मंदारः: mandāra flower/tree
• मंदारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• शतपत्रम्: ‘hundred-petalled’ (lotus/rose)
• शतपत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत-पत्र (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: शत + पत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• न: nor
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्

• मल्लिका: jasmine (mallikā)
• मल्लिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल्लिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तथा: so, thus
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; उपमान/प्रकारवाचकं (adverb: ‘so, in that way’)

• प्रियाणि: dear, beloved
• प्रियाणि: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणरूपेण (predicative: ‘dear’)

• श्रीवृक्षः: the śrī-tree (bilva)
• श्रीवृक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: श्री + वृक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• यथा: as
• यथा: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; उपमानवाचकं (comparative: ‘as, just as’)

• मदनविद्विषः: the enemy of Madana (Śiva)
• मदनविद्विषः: Upameya/Reference (Entity compared/उपमेय-संदर्भ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मदन-विद्विष् (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: मदन + विद्विष्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘मदनस्य विद्विट्’ (Kāmadeva’s enemy = Śiva)

Speaker

Prākārakarṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotional tableau showing various flowers—mālatī, mandāra, lotus, mallikā—set aside while the bilva branch is honored before a serene Śiva emblem, underscoring bilva’s special status.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Madana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In devotion, what pleases the deity most is not luxury but the offering especially प्रिय (beloved) to that deity—here, bilva for Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse glorifies bilva as a preferred offering in Śiva worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Preference is taught for offering bilva (śrīvṛkṣa) to Śiva over other flowers.