Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

अलंकृत्वा जगन्नाथं पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः । विमानैश्चामरैश्छत्रैस्तथा वै लिङ्गपूरणैः

Transliteration

alaṃkṛtvā jagannāthaṃ puṣpadhūpānulepanaiḥ | vimānaiścāmaraiśchatraistathā vai liṅgapūraṇaiḥ

Translation

அவன் ஜகன்னாதனை மலர்கள், தூபம், சந்தனம் முதலிய அனுலேபனங்களால் அலங்கரித்து; விமானோৎসவம், சாமரம், குடை போன்ற மரியாதைகளாலும், லிங்கபூஜைக்குரிய விதிப்படி உபசாரங்களாலும் வழிபட்டான்।

Word by Word

• अलंकृत्वा: having adorned
• अलंकृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अलङ्कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालः (having done)

• जगन्नाथम्: Jagannātha (Lord of the world)
• जगन्नाथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (जगतः नाथः), पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः: with flowers, incense, and unguents
• पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प + धूप + अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वसमासः (पुष्पाणि च धूपः च अनुलेपनानि च), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• विमानैः: with aerial cars/palanquins
• विमानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

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

• अमरैः: with fly-whisks
• अमरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; here in sense of चामर (fly-whisks)

• छत्रैः: with umbrellas
• छत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/so)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/पादपूरण-अव्यय (indeed)

• लिङ्गपूरणैः: with liṅga-fillings/offerings for the liṅga
• लिङ्गपूरणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग + पूरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (लिङ्गस्य पूरणम्/पूरणानि), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kundaleśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A decorated liṅga shrine: garlands drape the liṅga; incense smoke curls upward; attendants wave cāmaras; a parasol is held above; unguents and flowers are offered in sequence; the setting feels like a festival procession paused at the sanctum.

Characters & Entities

• Jagannātha (Śiva)
• Liṅga (Śiva-liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional service through proper upacāras (worship honors) is celebrated as a complete way of honoring the Lord at a sacred site.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kundaleśvara-tīrtha in the Revā Khaṇḍa, where such worship is described as exemplary.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā with flowers (puṣpa), incense (dhūpa), unguents (anulepana), and ceremonial honors (cāmara, chatra), along with Liṅga-specific offerings.