Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

कृता पूजा दिकं भूप ज्वलंतं कृष्णमूर्द्धनि । आरार्तिकं प्रकुर्वाणो मोदते कृष्णसन्निधौ

Transliteration

kṛtā pūjā dikaṃ bhūpa jvalaṃtaṃ kṛṣṇamūrddhani | ārārtikaṃ prakurvāṇo modate kṛṣṇasannidhau

Translation

ഹേ ഭൂപാ! പൂജ ചെയ്തു, ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണന്റെ ശിരസ്സിന് മുമ്പിൽ ജ്വലിക്കുന്ന ദീപത്തോടെ ആരാര്ത്തി ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ, ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണസന്നിധിയിൽ ആനന്ദിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• कृता: done/performed
• कृता: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; ‘पूजा’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पूजा: worship
• पूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• दीपम्: lamp
• दीपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• भूप: O king
• भूप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्

• ज्वलन्तम्: burning
• ज्वलन्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वल् (धातु) → ज्वलन्त् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘दीपम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• कृष्णमूर्धनि: on Krishna’s head
• कृष्णमूर्धनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कृष्णस्य मूर्धा)

• आरार्तिकम्: ārati (waving of lights)
• आरार्तिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आरार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• प्रकुर्वाणः: doing/performing
• प्रकुर्वाणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु) → कुर्वाण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्/Present middle participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• मोदते: rejoices
• मोदते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; धातुः—मुद् (हर्षे)

• कृष्णसन्निधौ: in Krishna’s presence
• कृष्णसन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कृष्णस्य सन्निधिः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced); addressed listener: bhūpa (king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpa/Nareśvara (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee waves a blazing lamp in circular motion before Kṛṣṇa’s head/face; the sanctum glows, reflecting on jeweled ornaments and the devotee’s uplifted expression.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Ārati (ārārtika)
• Dīpa (lamp)
• Dvārakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ārati is intimate devotion: offering light to the Lord draws the devotee into the Lord’s nearness and joy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, where Kṛṣṇa’s worship practices are praised as highly fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing ārārtika (ārati) by waving a blazing lamp before Kṛṣṇa after pūjā.