Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

राजचंपकधत्तूर करवीरकुशेशयैः । मालती कर्णिकारैश्च कदंबैर्बकुलोत्पलैः

Transliteration

rājacaṃpakadhattūra karavīrakuśeśayaiḥ | mālatī karṇikāraiśca kadaṃbairbakulotpalaiḥ

Translation

राजचंपक, धत्तूर, करवीर, कुशेशय; तसेच मालती, कर्णिकार, कदंब, बकुळ आणि उत्पल—या पुष्पांनी।

Word by Word

• राजचम्पक: with royal campaka flowers
• राजचम्पक: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāja + campaka (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.) (elliptically governed by -aiḥ in list); कर्मधारय (royal campaka)

• धत्तूरैः: with dhattūra flowers
• धत्तूरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhattūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.)

• करवीर: with oleander (karavīra)
• करवीर: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karavīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.) (elliptically in list)

• कुशेशयैः: with lotuses (water-lilies)
• कुशेशयैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśeśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.)

• मालती: with mālatī (jasmine)
• मालती: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mālatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.) (elliptically in list)

• कर्णिकारैः: with karṇikāra flowers
• कर्णिकारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karṇikāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• कदम्बैः: with kadamba flowers
• कदम्बैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kadamba (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.)

• बकुलैः: with bakula flowers
• बकुलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bakula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.) (elliptically in list)

• उत्पलैः: with blue lotuses (utpala)
• उत्पलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: utpala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl.)

Speaker

Gaṇas (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Suvrata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A close, sensorial tableau of Śiva worship: heaps of campaka, dhattūra, karavīra, lotus-like blooms, mālatī, karṇikāra, kadamba, bakula, and utpala arranged before the liṅga, with lamps and incense.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)
• Viśveśvara (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional beauty—offering nature’s finest blossoms—becomes a vehicle for honoring Śiva in the sacred kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Śiva-worship tradition (Viśveśvara context), expressed through prescribed floral offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pushpa-pūjā: offering specific flowers in worship (continued in the next verse).