Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

कूष्मांडैश्चैव वर्णाद्यैरुन्मत्तकुसुमायुतैः । मंदारैर्बिल्वपत्रैश्च दूर्वाद्यैश्च नवांकुरैः

Transliteration

kūṣmāṃḍaiścaiva varṇādyairunmattakusumāyutaiḥ | maṃdārairbilvapatraiśca dūrvādyaiśca navāṃkuraiḥ

Translation

कूष्मांडाची फुले व इतर रंगीबेरंगी फुले, उन्मत्तक फुलांचे गुच्छ; मंदाराची फुले, बिल्वपत्रे आणि दूर्वा इत्यादींचे नवे अंकुर यांद्वारेही मी पूजन केले.

Word by Word

• कूष्माण्डैः: with ash-gourds (kūṣmāṇḍa)
• कूष्माण्डैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूष्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक conjunction)

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चय/अवधारण particle)

• वर्णाद्यैः: with various (items) beginning with varṇa etc.
• वर्णाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ण + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (various, beginning with colors/varṇas etc.)

• उन्मत्तकुसुमायुतैः: with dhattūra-flowers in abundance
• उन्मत्तकुसुमायुतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उन्मत्त + कुसुम + आयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (accompanied with dhattūra-flowers)

• मन्दारैः: with mandāra flowers
• मन्दारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• बिल्वपत्रैः: with bilva leaves
• बिल्वपत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल्व + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक conjunction)

• दूर्वाद्यैः: with dūrvā and the like
• दूर्वाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूर्वा + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समूहवाचक), तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘dūrvā etc.’ as a set

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक conjunction)

• नवाङ्कुरैः: with fresh sprouts
• नवाङ्कुरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नव + अङ्कुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (new sprouts)

Speaker

Kūrma

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jāgeśvara (liṅga)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A King (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Offerings laid in profusion: bright kūṣmāṇḍa blossoms, clusters of unmattaka flowers, celestial-looking mandāra blooms, glossy bilva leaves, and fresh green dūrvā sprouts arranged before the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)
• Bilva (leaf sacred to Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva accepts heartfelt worship offered through sacred leaves and simple natural items, turning ordinary materials into vehicles of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is identified; the verse elaborates the offerings used in Śiva worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering bilva leaves, flowers, dūrvā, and fresh sprouts as upacāras in Śiva pūjā is indicated.