Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

मनुष्यदेवपितृषु पुष्पपूजा विधीयते । पुष्पैः संपूजितो येन हरिरेकः श्रिया सह

Transliteration

manuṣyadevapitṛṣu puṣpapūjā vidhīyate | puṣpaiḥ saṃpūjito yena harirekaḥ śriyā saha

Translation

മനുഷ്യർക്കും ദേവന്മാർക്കും പിതൃകൾക്കും പുഷ്പപൂജ വിധിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു. ശ്രീ (ലക്ഷ്മി) സഹിതനായ ഏക ഹരിയെ പുഷ്പങ്ങളാൽ പൂജിക്കുന്നവൻ മുഖേന എല്ലാവരും പൂജിക്കപ്പെട്ടവരാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• मनुष्यदेवपितृषु: among humans, gods, and ancestors
• मनुष्यदेवपितृषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Locative, Plural; द्वन्द्व-समास (मनुष्य-देव-पितरः)

• पुष्पपूजा: flower-worship
• पुष्पपूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• विधीयते: is prescribed/ordained
• विधीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धा (धातु) (वि-उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद — Present, 3rd person, Singular; Passive

• पुष्पैः: with flowers
• पुष्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• संपूजितः: worshipped
• संपूजितः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√पूज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Past passive participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular; (विशेषणम्: हरिः)

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Instrumental, Singular; सर्वनाम

• हरिः: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एकः: one, alone
• एकः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; विशेषणम् (हरिः)

• श्रिया: with Shri (Lakshmi)
• श्रिया: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (postposition meaning 'with')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa–Māhātmya narrative convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers white and fragrant flowers at a Viṣṇu shrine where Lakṣmī stands beside him; in the background, subtle symbolic presences of devas above and pitṛs receiving blessings below, showing one act honoring all realms.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• Devas
• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship of Hari with devotion—especially through simple offerings like flowers—becomes a comprehensive honoring of gods, ancestors, and society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya framework; the immediate focus here is the ritual principle rather than naming a single tirtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Puṣpa-pūjā (flower worship) is prescribed, specifically directed to Hari together with Śrī.