Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

पानीयमक्षता दर्भा गंधपूष्पं ससर्पिषम् । क्षीरं दधि मधु पुनर्नवांगोऽर्घः प्रकीर्तितः

Transliteration

pānīyamakṣatā darbhā gaṃdhapūṣpaṃ sasarpiṣam | kṣīraṃ dadhi madhu punarnavāṃgo'rghaḥ prakīrtitaḥ

Translation

น้ำ อักษตะ (เมล็ดข้าวไม่แตก) หญ้าดัรภะ กลิ่นหอมและดอกไม้พร้อมเนยใส; และอีกทั้งน้ำนม นมเปรี้ยว และน้ำผึ้ง—สิ่งเหล่านี้ประกาศว่าเป็นอรฆยะเก้าประการ

Word by Word

• पानीयम्: water
• पानीयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पानीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अक्षताः: unbroken grains (rice)
• अक्षताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (अक्षत-धान्य), प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• दर्भाः: darbha grass
• दर्भाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• गन्धपुष्पम्: fragrant flower
• गन्धपुष्पम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (‘गन्धयुक्तं पुष्पम्’)

• ससर्पिषम्: together with ghee
• ससर्पिषम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + सर्पिष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्गसदृश ‘स’ = ‘सहित’ (with) — विशेषणम्

• क्षीरम्: milk
• क्षीरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दधि: curd
• दधि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मधु: honey
• मधु: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पुनः: again/further
• पुनः: Avyaya (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• नवाङ्गः: nine-limbed (consisting of nine items)
• नवाङ्गः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः; ‘अर्घः’ इति विशेषणम्

• अर्घः: arghya offering
• अर्घः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रकीर्तितः: is proclaimed/declared
• प्रकीर्तितः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√कीर्त् (धातु) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘is declared’ इत्यर्थे

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa) in the surrounding passage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual tray with nine items arranged in order: water vessel, akṣata bowl, darbha bundle, sandal paste, flowers, ghee, milk, curd, honey; the priest mixes or presents them as arghya before the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Arghya
• Darbha
• Akṣata
• Ghṛta
• Kṣīra
• Dadhi
• Madhu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is expressed through careful, complete offerings—honoring the deity with purity and abundance of sacred substances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse teaches a general arghya standard used in Śiva worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prepare and offer navāṅga-arghya using water, akṣata, darbha, fragrance, flowers, ghee, milk, curd, and honey.