Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

श्वेतमंदार कुसुमं सितंपद्मसमं भवेत् । नागचंपकपुन्नागधत्तूरकुसुमं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

śvetamaṃdāra kusumaṃ sitaṃpadmasamaṃ bhavet | nāgacaṃpakapunnāgadhattūrakusumaṃ smṛtam

Translation

வெள்ளை மந்தாரப் பூ வெள்ளைத் தாமரைக்கு ஒப்பாகக் கருதப்படுகிறது. அதுபோல நாகசம்பகம், புன்னாகம், தத்தூரப் பூக்களும் அவ்வாறே ஏற்றதாகச் சொல்லப்படுகின்றன।

Word by Word

• śveta-maṃdāra-kusumam: white mandāra flower
• śveta-maṃdāra-kusumam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śveta (प्रातिपदिक) + maṃdāra (प्रातिपदिक) + kusuma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (श्वेतस्य मन्दारस्य कुसुमम्)

• sita-padma-samam: equal to a white lotus
• sita-padma-samam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sita (प्रातिपदिक) + padma (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (सितपद्मेन समम्)

• bhavet: may be/should be
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• nāga-caṃpaka-punnāga-dhattūra-kusumam: flowers of nāga-campaka, punnāga, and dhattūra
• nāga-caṃpaka-punnāga-dhattūra-kusumam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक) + caṃpaka (प्रातिपदिक) + punnāga (प्रातिपदिक) + dhattūra (प्रातिपदिक) + kusuma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (नागचम्पकादीनां कुसुमम्)

• smṛtam: is said/mentioned
• smṛtam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘स्मृतम्’ = ‘उक्तम्/कथितम्’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced from Purāṇic māhātmya frame in Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra / Somnātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous white-offering tableau: white mandāra and white lotus placed near the Somnātha linga, with nāga-campaka, punnāga, and dhattūra blossoms arranged as sanctioned alternatives.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Someśvara (Somanātha)
• Śveta-mandāra
• White lotus (sita-padma)
• Nāga-campaka
• Punnāga
• Dhattūra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When the best offering is unavailable, dharma provides sanctioned equivalents, allowing devotion to remain steady and respectful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra and the worship of Someśvara/Somanātha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

White mandāra is treated as equal to the white lotus; nāga-campaka, punnāga, and dhattūra flowers are also affirmed as worthy offerings.