Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 144

Devanagari script

स्नपनं तस्य कृत्वा च ततो गंडूषवारिणा । नैवेद्यं तत्पलं चैव किरातः शिवमर्पयत्

Transliteration

snapanaṃ tasya kṛtvā ca tato gaṃḍūṣavāriṇā | naivedyaṃ tatpalaṃ caiva kirātaḥ śivamarpayat

Translation

അതിനു സ്നപനം നടത്തി, പിന്നെ ഗണ്ഡൂഷജലത്തോടെ, കിരാതൻ ശിവനു നൈവേദ്യവും ആ ഫലവും സമർപ്പിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• स्नपनम्: bathing/ablution
• स्नपनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/that (of Śiva)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having done’

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

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Sequence/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अपादानार्थक-अव्यय (then/from there)

• गण्डूषवारिणा: with water for rinsing the mouth
• गण्डूषवारिणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण्डूष + वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: गण्डूषस्य वारि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

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

• तत्पलम्: that measure/portion (pala)
• तत्पलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् + पल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: तस्य पलम्/तत्पलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• किरातः: the Kirāta
• किरातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किरात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शिवम्: to Śiva
• शिवम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अर्पयत्: offered
• अर्पयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्प् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The kirāta performs abhiṣeka of the liṅga, then offers a gandūṣa libation and places naivedya and a fruit before Śiva with focused devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Kirāta
• Śiva
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere devotion—offering even simple items with reverence—becomes acceptable worship to Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra (Kedārakhaṇḍa’s sacred geography centered on Kedāranātha/Śiva-liṅga worship).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snapana (ablution/bathing of the liṅga) and naivedya-phala offering, even using gaṇḍūṣa water as a humble libation.