Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

राजिकाभिश्च संलिप्ता नवच्छिद्रसमन्विताः । चंद्रबिंबप्रतीकाशा मण्डकास्तत्र कल्पिताः

Transliteration

rājikābhiśca saṃliptā navacchidrasamanvitāḥ | caṃdrabiṃbapratīkāśā maṇḍakāstatra kalpitāḥ

Translation

அங்கே அவர்கள் ராஜிகா (கடுகு) பூசி, புதுப் புதுத் துளைகளுடன், நிலவட்டம் போல் ஒளிரும் மண்டகங்கள் (கேக்குகள்) தயாரித்தனர்।

Word by Word

• राजिकाभिः: with mustard-seeds/lines (rājikā)
• राजिकाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case/instrumental), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• संलिप्ताः: smeared/coated
• संलिप्ताः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + लिप् (धातु) → संलिप्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• नव: nine
• नव: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषण; (in compound)

• छिद्र: holes
• छिद्र: Sambandha (Compound-member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (in compound)

• समन्विताः: endowed with
• समन्विताः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अन्वि (धातु) → समन्वित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• चंद्रबिंबप्रतीकाशाः: resembling the disc of the moon
• चंद्रबिंबप्रतीकाशाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + बिम्ब (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतीकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; विशेषण; चन्द्रबिम्बस्य प्रतीकाशाः (genitive relation)

• मण्डकाः: maṇḍaka cakes
• मण्डकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कल्पिताः: were prepared/arranged
• कल्पिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (धातु) → कल्पित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (PPP) used predicatively; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (contextual; likely Sūta-style narration within Brāhma Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Round maṇḍakas prepared with mustard-smear, dotted with fresh perforations, gleaming pale-gold/white like a full moon, arranged for offering.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇḍaka (ritual cake)
• Rājikā (mustard)
• Śrīmātā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Beauty, care, and symbolic purity in offerings are treated as expressions of reverence toward the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse does not specify a tīrtha; it continues the Dharmāraṇya worship narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Preparation of specific naivedya (maṇḍakas) with prescribed features and adornment.