Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

पाटला मल्लिका पद्म केतकी करवीरकः । उत्पलै राजचंपैश्च नंद्यावर्तैश्च जातिभिः

Transliteration

pāṭalā mallikā padma ketakī karavīrakaḥ | utpalai rājacaṃpaiśca naṃdyāvartaiśca jātibhiḥ

Translation

Com pāṭalā, mallikā, lótus, ketakī e karavīra; com utpala, rāja-campā, nandīāvarta e jātī — com essas flores deve-se adorar, oferecendo-as em culto.

Word by Word

• pāṭalā: pāṭalā flower
• pāṭalā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṭalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• mallikā: jasmine (mallikā)
• mallikā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mallikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• padma: lotus
• padma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• ketakī: pandanus (ketakī)
• ketakī: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ketakī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• karavīrakaḥ: oleander (karavīraka)
• karavīrakaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karavīraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• utpalaiḥ: with blue lotuses (utpala)
• utpalaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: utpala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• rāja-campaiḥ: with royal campā flowers
• rāja-campaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāja (प्रातिपदिक) + campā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (rājā iva campā)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• naṃdyāvartaiḥ: with naṃdyāvarta flowers
• naṃdyāvartaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naṃdyāvarta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• jātibhiḥ: with jasmines (jāti)
• jātibhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Disciple/querent

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cascade of diverse flowers offered at a Śiva shrine: pink pāṭalā blossoms, white mallikā and jātī jasmine, lotus and blue utpala, fragrant rāja-campā, spiral nandīāvarta, ketakī blooms, and red karavīra; garlands and loose petals arranged in concentric patterns around the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṭalā
• Mallikā
• Padma
• Ketakī
• Karavīra
• Utpala
• Rāja-campā
• Nandīāvarta
• Jātī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Beauty offered in devotion—through pure flowers—becomes a vehicle of reverence and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered ritual culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Flower-arcana using specified blossoms such as lotus, utpala, jasmine, ketakī, and campā.