Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

न्यासं कृत्वा तु पूर्वोक्तं प्रदद्यादष्टपुष्पिकाम् । शास्त्रोक्तैरष्टभिः पुष्पैर्मानसैः शृणु तद्यथा

Transliteration

nyāsaṃ kṛtvā tu pūrvoktaṃ pradadyādaṣṭapuṣpikām | śāstroktairaṣṭabhiḥ puṣpairmānasaiḥ śṛṇu tadyathā

Translation

ครั้นทำนยาสะตามที่กล่าวไว้แล้ว พึงถวายบูชา ‘อัษฏปุษปิกา’ คือบูชาด้วยดอกไม้แปดประการ จงสดับเถิดว่า ทำอย่างไรด้วยดอกไม้ทางใจแปดดอกตามที่ศาสตรากล่าวไว้

Word by Word

• न्यासम्: nyāsa (ritual placement)
• न्यासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• तु: then; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अन्वय-अव्यय (particle)

• पूर्वोक्तम्: previously stated
• पूर्वोक्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व-उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वच् धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समासः कर्मधारय (पूर्वं उक्तम्)

• प्रदद्यात्: should give; should offer
• प्रदद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अष्टपुष्पिकाम्: an eight-flowered offering (set of eight flowers)
• अष्टपुष्पिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट-पुष्पिका (प्रातिपदिक; अष्ट + पुष्पिका)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः द्विगु (अष्ट पुष्पिकाः यस्याः/अष्टसंख्या-युक्ता पुष्पिका)

• शास्त्रोक्तैः: as stated in the scriptures
• शास्त्रोक्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शास्त्र-उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वच् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समासः तत्पुरुष (शास्त्रे उक्तैः)

• अष्टभिः: with eight
• अष्टभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; संख्याशब्द

• पुष्पैः: with flowers
• पुष्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• मानसैः: mental; of the mind
• मानसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• शृणु: hear; listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• यथा: as follows; how
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/उपमान-अव्यय (adverb: as/how)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrotṛ audience (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A worshipper completes nyāsa (touching limbs with mantra) and then offers eight luminous ‘mental flowers’ visualized as lotus-lights rising from the heart toward the deity/pitṛ focus.

Characters & Entities

• Nyāsa
• Aṣṭapuṣpikā (eightfold mental offering)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer rites are strengthened by inner worship; mental offerings can be śāstrically complete and spiritually effective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is ritual-focused within the Reva Khaṇḍa setting rather than naming a separate tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform nyāsa and then offer the aṣṭapuṣpikā—eight ‘flowers’ offered mentally as per śāstra.