Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 105

Devanagari script

पुरोहित उवाच । गृहाण राज्ञि पुष्पाणि कुरु पूजां गदाभृतः । उपकारः प्रकर्तव्यो व्यपदेशेन कर्हिचित्

Transliteration

purohita uvāca | gṛhāṇa rājñi puṣpāṇi kuru pūjāṃ gadābhṛtaḥ | upakāraḥ prakartavyo vyapadeśena karhicit

Translation

O sacerdote disse: «Ó Rainha, aceita as flores e realiza a adoração ao Senhor que empunha a maça. Por vezes, uma ação benéfica deve ser efetuada sob um pretexto apropriado, para que se cumpra».

Word by Word

• purohitaḥ: the priest
• purohitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purohita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case/nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद (parasmaipada)

• gṛhāṇa: take/accept
• gṛhāṇa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular), आत्मनेपद (ātmanepada)

• rājñi: O queen
• rājñi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājñī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• puṣpāṇi: flowers
• puṣpāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), बहुवचन (plural)

• kuru: do/perform
• kuru: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद (parasmaipada)

• pūjām: worship
• pūjām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• gadā-bhṛtaḥ: of the mace-bearer (Viṣṇu)
• gadā-bhṛtaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gadā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhṛt (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (6th case/genitive), एकवचन (singular)

• upakāraḥ: a favor/service
• upakāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upakāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case/nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• prakartavyaḥ: should be done
• prakartavyaḥ: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-kṛ (धातु) → prakartavya (कृदन्त/भाव्य)
• Form: भाव्य (gerundive; ‘to be done’), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case/nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• vyapadeśena: by pretext/under the guise
• vyapadeśena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyapadeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया (3rd case/instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

• karhicit: at any time / ever
• karhicit: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: karhicit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), कदाचित्-अर्थ (at some time/ever)

Speaker

Purohita (royal priest)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājñī (Queen)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest gently instructs the queen to accept the flowers and worship the mace-bearing Lord (Viṣṇu), hinting that a good deed may be done tactfully; the queen holds the offering basket with hesitation turning to resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Purohita
• Hari
• Gadābhṛt (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wise guidance balances ideal rules with compassionate practicality: devotion should proceed, and beneficial acts may be facilitated skillfully.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is embedded in the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred setting (Narmadā milieu), but it does not name a particular shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Accept the flowers and perform pūjā of the mace-bearing Lord (Hari/Viṣṇu).