Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

ततः सागुरुकैर्धूपैः कुन्दरैश्च विशेषतः । धूपयेद्देवदेवेशं दीपान् बोध्य दिशो दश

Transliteration

tataḥ sāgurukairdhūpaiḥ kundaraiśca viśeṣataḥ | dhūpayeddevadeveśaṃ dīpān bodhya diśo daśa

Translation

ततः सागुरुकैर्धूपैः कुन्दरैश्च विशेषतः देवदेवेशं धूपयेत्, दीपान् प्रज्वाल्य दिशो दश प्रकाशयेत्।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (thereafter)

• sa-agurukaiḥ: together with aguru (aloeswood)
• sa-agurukaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपपद) + aguru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अव्ययीभावः 'सह-अगुरु' = 'with aguru' (qualifying dhūpaiḥ)

• dhūpaiḥ: with incenses
• dhūpaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• kundaraiḥ: with kundara (fragrant resin/incense)
• kundaraiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kundara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (adverb) 'especially'

• dhūpayet: should incense, should fumigate
• dhūpayet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhūp (धूप् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• deva-deveśam: the Lord of gods
• deva-deveśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deveśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (devānāṃ deveśaḥ)

• dīpān: lamps
• dīpān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• bodhya: having lit (made to shine)
• bodhya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वकाले क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: budh (बुध् धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/तुमुन्-अर्थे क्त्वान्त-समकक्षः; here as absolutive-like instruction 'having lit/caused to be awakened' (intended: 'lighting'); पाठभेदे 'badhya/bodhya'—accepted as causative sense 'to make shine/awaken'

• diśaḥ: the directions
• diśaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (दिश् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (agreeing with diśaḥ)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual, continuing instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira/mahīpāla)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra Sūrya-arcana

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (mahīpāla addressed in next verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ring of oil lamps around a riverside altar; thick fragrant incense smoke rising; devotees wave lamps as the ten directions glow; Bhāskara’s emblem shines centrally.

Characters & Entities

• Devadeveśa
• Ten directions (daśa diśaḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes complete when worship engages purity (fragrance) and illumination (lamps), symbolizing inner cleansing and awakened awareness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within Revā Khaṇḍa’s Narmadā-region context, emphasizing Śiva-worship connected to the sacred geography of the Revā (Narmadā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer dhūpa (incense) with aguru/kundara and light dīpas (lamps) so that the ten directions are illuminated.