Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 109

Devanagari script

धूपश्च गौग्गुलः श्रेष्ठस्तौरुष्को धूप एव च । शुक्लाः सुमनसः श्रेष्ठास्तथा पद्मोत्पलानि च

Transliteration

dhūpaśca gauggulaḥ śreṣṭhastauruṣko dhūpa eva ca | śuklāḥ sumanasaḥ śreṣṭhāstathā padmotpalāni ca

Translation

ധൂപങ്ങളിൽ ഗുഗ്ഗുലു ശ്രേഷ്ഠം; തൗരുഷ്കവും ഉത്തമ ധൂപമായി പ്രസിദ്ധം. പുഷ്പങ്ങളിൽ ശ്വേതപുഷ്പങ്ങൾ ശ്രേഷ്ഠം; അതുപോലെ പദ്മവും ഉത്പലവും।

Word by Word

• धूपः: incense
• धूपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conjunction

• गौग्गुलः: guggulu (resin)
• गौग्गुलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौग्गुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्रेष्ठः: excellent / best
• श्रेष्ठः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; superlative adjective

• तौरुष्कः: tauruṣka (a fragrant resin/incense)
• तौरुष्कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तौरुष्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• धूपः: incense
• धूपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avyaya (Emphasis/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; emphatic particle

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conjunction

• शुक्लाः: white
• शुक्लाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (सुमनसः इति विशेष्य)

• सुमनसः: flowers (lit. good-minded; blossoms)
• सुमनसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुमनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• श्रेष्ठाः: excellent
• श्रेष्ठाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb

• पद्मोत्पलानि: lotuses and water-lilies
• पद्मोत्पलानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म + उत्पल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (पद्मानि च उत्पलानि च); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conjunction

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Prabhāsa shrine setting: a devotee prepares dhūpa with guggulu and tauruṣka; white blossoms and lotus/utpala are arranged as offerings before a Śiva-liṅga, with attendants fanning and lamps lit.

Characters & Entities

• Guggulu
• Tauruṣka
• Padma (lotus)
• Utpala (water-lily)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offering the finest and purest substances is a concrete expression of bhakti and reverence in kṣetra-worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the Māhātmya teaches ideal pūjā-upacāras for successful worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use guggulu and tauruṣka as incense; prefer white flowers, especially lotus and utpala, for offerings.