Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 153

Devanagari script

पूजोपहारैर्विपुलैः कुङ्कुमेन पुनःपुनः । श्लक्ष्णाभिः पुष्पमालाभिः कौसुम्भैः केसरेण च

Transliteration

pūjopahārairvipulaiḥ kuṅkumena punaḥpunaḥ | ślakṣṇābhiḥ puṣpamālābhiḥ kausumbhaiḥ kesareṇa ca

Translation

ด้วยเครื่องสักการะอันอุดม พึงถวายกุงกุมซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่า ประดับด้วยพวงมาลัยดอกไม้เนื้อนุ่ม ด้วยดอกคำฝอย และด้วยเส้นเกสรหญ้าฝรั่นด้วย

Word by Word

• pūjā: worship
• pūjā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनम्; समासपूर्वपदम्

• upahāraiḥ: with offerings
• upahāraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upahāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्

• vipulaiḥ: abundant
• vipulaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vipula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (upahāraiḥ)

• kuṅkumena: with saffron/vermillion
• kuṅkumena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṅkuma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचनम्

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/आवृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: repetition)

• punaḥ: again (repeatedly)
• punaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/आवृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: repetition)

• ślakṣṇābhiḥ: smooth/soft
• ślakṣṇābhiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ślakṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (puṣpamālābhiḥ)

• puṣpamālābhiḥ: with flower-garlands
• puṣpamālābhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: पुष्पाणां माला), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनम्

• kausumbhaiḥ: made of safflower (kusumbha) / reddish
• kausumbhaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kausumbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (upahāraiḥ/puṣpamālābhiḥ—contextual)

• kesareṇa: with pollen/saffron filaments
• kesareṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kesara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचनम्

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mādhūkāvāsa (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close view of the icon being adorned: hands applying red kuṅkuma repeatedly, layering soft flower garlands; safflower hues and saffron filaments scattered like golden-red sparks around the deity.

Characters & Entities

• Kuṅkuma
• Kesara (saffron)
• Kusumbha (safflower)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through beauty and repetition—steady, heartfelt adornment becomes a language of reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa’s Narmadā-region observance context; this verse emphasizes the pūjā method rather than a named shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform abundant pūjā offerings, repeatedly applying kuṅkuma and adorning with soft garlands, safflower flowers, and saffron.