Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

दधिक्षीर घृतेनैव पंचगव्यकुशोदकैः । कुंकुमागरुकर्पूरैस्तल्लिगं पूजयेन्निशि

Transliteration

dadhikṣīra ghṛtenaiva paṃcagavyakuśodakaiḥ | kuṃkumāgarukarpūraistalligaṃ pūjayenniśi

Translation

Pada waktu malam hendaklah dipuja Liṅga itu dengan dadih, susu dan minyak sapi (ghee); dengan pañcagavya serta air yang disucikan oleh rumput kuśa; dan dengan kunyit saffron, kayu gaharu (agaru) serta kapur barus.

Word by Word

• दधि-क्षीरम्: with curd and milk
• दधि-क्षीरम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective)

• घृतेन: with ghee
• घृतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• पञ्च-गव्य-कुश-उदकैः: with pañcagavya and kuśa-water
• पञ्च-गव्य-कुश-उदकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कुश (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘पञ्चगव्येन कुशोदकेन च’ इत्यर्थे समाहार/निर्देश (with pañcagavya and kuśa-water)

• कुङ्कुम-अगरु-कर्पूरैः: with saffron, aloe-wood, and camphor
• कुङ्कुम-अगरु-कर्पूरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुङ्कुम (प्रातिपदिक) + अगरु (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्पूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (enumerative)

• तत्-लिङ्गम्: that liṅga (of Śiva)
• तत्-लिङ्गम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘तस्य (शिवस्य) लिङ्गम्’

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• निशि: at night
• निशि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कालाधिकरणे

Speaker

Śiva (in dialogue with Devī/Pārvatī, inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night-time shrine in Prabhāsa: a black stone liṅga on a yoni-pīṭha, priests offering curd, milk, and ghee in shining streams; kuśa blades in a water vessel; saffron-red kumkuma, dark agaru paste, and white camphor placed as fragrant offerings; oil lamps flicker against a coastal-temple backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Pañcagavya
• Kuśa
• Kuṅkuma
• Agaru
• Karpūra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes complete when expressed through prescribed, pure offerings—uniting inner reverence with outward ritual discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa liṅga described in this adhyāya, treated as a locus of great tīrtha-power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Night-time liṅga worship using dadhī, kṣīra, ghṛta, pañcagavya, kuśa-sanitized water, and fragrant substances like saffron, agaru, and camphor.