Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

द्रोणपुष्पसहस्रेभ्यो ह्यपामार्गं विशिष्यते । अपामार्गसहस्रेभ्यः कुशपुष्पं विशिष्यते । कुशपुष्प सहस्रेभ्यः शमीपुष्पं विशिष्यते

Transliteration

droṇapuṣpasahasrebhyo hyapāmārgaṃ viśiṣyate | apāmārgasahasrebhyaḥ kuśapuṣpaṃ viśiṣyate | kuśapuṣpa sahasrebhyaḥ śamīpuṣpaṃ viśiṣyate

Translation

ആയിരം ദ്രോണപുഷ്പങ്ങളിൽ അപാമാർഗം ശ്രേഷ്ഠമെന്നു പറയുന്നു; ആയിരം അപാമാർഗപുഷ്പങ്ങളിൽ കുശപുഷ്പം ശ്രേഷ്ഠം; ആയിരം കുശപുഷ്പങ്ങളിൽ ശമീപുഷ്പം അതിലും വിശിഷ്ടം।

Word by Word

• द्रोणपुष्पसहस्रेभ्यः: than a thousand droṇa-flowers
• द्रोणपुष्पसहस्रेभ्यः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-बहुवचनम् (Ablative plural)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle); हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थकः

• अपामार्गम्: apāmārga (plant/flower)
• अपामार्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपामार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (Nom./Acc. sg.)

• विशिष्यते: is superior/excels
• विशिष्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√शिष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• अपामार्गसहस्रेभ्यः: than a thousand apāmārga (flowers)
• अपामार्गसहस्रेभ्यः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपामार्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-बहुवचनम् (Ablative plural)

• कुशपुष्पम्: kuśa-flower
• कुशपुष्पम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (Nom./Acc. sg.)

• विशिष्यते: is superior/excels
• विशिष्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√शिष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• कुशपुष्प: kuśa-flower-
• कुशपुष्प: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण (समासपूर्वपदवत्)

• सहस्रेभ्यः: than a thousand
• सहस्रेभ्यः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-बहुवचनम् (Ablative plural)

• शमीपुष्पम्: śamī-flower
• शमीपुष्पम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शमी (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (Nom./Acc. sg.)

• विशिष्यते: is superior/excels
• विशिष्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√शिष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced from Purāṇic māhātmya frame in Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra / Somnātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ritualist gathers apāmārga and kuśa near a sacred precinct, then offers śamī blossoms at the Somnātha liṅga, illustrating the ascending preference.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Someśvara (Somanātha)
• Apāmārga
• Kuśa
• Śamī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is refined by choosing pure and scripturally praised offerings; excellence in worship is shown through discernment and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, the sacred region of Someśvara/Somanātha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A graded preference of flowers for Śiva worship: śamī is praised above kuśa, kuśa above apāmārga, and apāmārga above droṇa.