Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

वितानाद्यैरलंकृत्य फलपुष्पनवांकुरैः । विचित्रपद्ममुद्धृत्य वर्णपंचकसंयुतम्

Transliteration

vitānādyairalaṃkṛtya phalapuṣpanavāṃkuraiḥ | vicitrapadmamuddhṛtya varṇapaṃcakasaṃyutam

Translation

விதானம் முதலியவற்றால் அலங்கரித்து, கனிகள் மலர்கள் புதிய முளைகளால் சீரமைத்து, ஐந்து நிறங்களுடன் கூடிய வியத்தகு தாமரை வடிவத்தை வெளிப்படுத்த வேண்டும்।

Word by Word

• vitāna-ādyaiḥ: with canopies and the like
• vitāna-ādyaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vitāna (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (vitānaḥ ādiḥ yeṣām = ‘canopies etc.’)

• alaṃkṛtya: having decorated
• alaṃkṛtya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ करणे) + alaṃ-
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having decorated’

• phala-puṣpa-nava-aṃkuraiḥ: with fruits, flowers, and fresh sprouts
• phala-puṣpa-nava-aṃkuraiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक) + puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + nava (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃkura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (फलानि च पुष्पाणि च नवाङ्कुराः च)

• vicitra-padmam: a variegated lotus
• vicitra-padmam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vicitra (प्रातिपदिक) + padma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (विचित्रं पद्मम्)

• uddhṛtya: having lifted/raised
• uddhṛtya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hṛ (हृ हरणे) + ud-
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having lifted/taken out’

• varṇa-paṃcaka-saṃyutam: endowed with a set of five colors
• varṇa-paṃcaka-saṃyutam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: varṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + paṃcaka (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyuta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक, √yuj युजे संयोगे, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: वर्णानां पञ्चकं; तेन संयुतम्)

Speaker

Śāṇḍilya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A richly prepared pūjā space: canopy overhead, heaps of flowers and fruits, tender green sprouts, and a central lotus maṇḍala in five colors radiating around the deity.

Characters & Entities

• Lotus maṇḍala (padma)
• Five colors (varṇa-pañcaka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Beauty offered in devotion becomes worship—ornamentation is not display, but a reverent offering to the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific location is praised; the verse describes pūjā-alankāra (decorative offerings).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Decorate with vitānas, fruits, flowers, fresh sprouts, and prepare a five-colored lotus design (padma-maṇḍala).