Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अनेनात्र चंदनादि दत्त्वा राजमाषतण्डुलमिश्रकाश्च चतुःषष्टिकृतभागान्वटकान्निवेद्य तावत्यो दीपिकास्तावन्ति पत्राणि पूगानि निवेद्य दण्डवत्प्रणम्य महास्तुतिमेतां जपेत्

Transliteration

anenātra caṃdanādi dattvā rājamāṣataṇḍulamiśrakāśca catuḥṣaṣṭikṛtabhāgānvaṭakānnivedya tāvatyo dīpikāstāvanti patrāṇi pūgāni nivedya daṇḍavatpraṇamya mahāstutimetāṃ japet

Translation

ด้วยมนตร์นี้ พึงถวายจันทน์และเครื่องสักการะอื่น ๆ; น้อมถวายวฏกะ (ขนมก้อน) ทำจากถั่วดำกับข้าวสารผสม แบ่งเป็นหกสิบสี่ส่วน; ถวายประทีปจำนวนเท่ากัน และถวายใบไม้กับหมากจำนวนเท่ากัน; แล้วกราบแบบทัณฑวัต (หมอบราบทั้งกาย) และสวดมหาสรรเสริญนี้

Word by Word

• anena: by this (means)
• anena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम्)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; करणवाचक

• atra: here
• atra: Adverbial (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अत्र)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• caṃdanādi: sandalwood and the like
• caṃdanādi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṃdana + ādi (चन्दन + आदि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (चन्दनं आदिः यस्य/चन्दनादि = ‘sandal etc.’)

• dattvā: having given
• dattvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• rājamāṣataṇḍulamiśrakāḥ: mixtures of black-gram and rice
• rājamāṣataṇḍulamiśrakāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājamāṣa + taṇḍula + miśraka (राजमाष + तण्डुल + मिश्रक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (राजमाष-तण्डुलयोः मिश्रकाः)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• catuḥṣaṣṭikṛtabhāgān: divided into sixty-four portions
• catuḥṣaṣṭikṛtabhāgān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catuḥṣaṣṭi + kṛta + bhāga (चतुःषष्टि + कृत + भाग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; विशेषण (vaṭakān); समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘चतुःषष्ट्या कृताः भागाः’ = divided into 64 parts)

• vaṭakān: cakes/balls (offerings)
• vaṭakān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaṭaka (वटक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; कर्मवाचक

• nivedya: having offered/presented
• nivedya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√vid (विद्) / √ved (वेद्) in causative sense ‘to present’ (निवेदयति)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष (absolutive/gerund from causative stem nivedaya-); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• tāvatyaḥ: so many (as that)
• tāvatyaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāvatī (तावती)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; विशेषण (dīpikāḥ)

• dīpikāḥ: lamps
• dīpikāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpikā (दीपिका)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• tāvanti: that many
• tāvanti: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāvat (तावत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन; विशेषण (patrāṇi, pūgāni)

• patrāṇi: leaves
• patrāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patra (पत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन

• pūgāni: areca-nuts (betel nuts)
• pūgāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūga (पूग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन

• nivedya: having offered
• nivedya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√vid (विद्) (निवेदयति)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• daṇḍavat: prostratingly
• daṇḍavat: Adverbial (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: daṇḍavat (दण्डवत्)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (‘like a staff’, prostrate)

• praṇamya: having bowed down
• praṇamya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√nam (नम्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• mahāstutim: the great hymn of praise
• mahāstutim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + stuti (महा + स्तुति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महती स्तुतिः)

• etām: this
• etām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (एतद्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण (mahāstutim)

• japet: should recite/mutter
• japet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jap (जप्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; विध्यर्थ

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) prescribing the ritual (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual table before a guardian shrine: sandal paste, 64 small cakes, 64 lamps in rows, betel leaves and areca nuts; devotee performs full prostration and begins chanting a hymn.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetrapāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through disciplined, counted offerings and humility—ritual order mirrors inner order and earns protective grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is general to Kṣetrapāla worship within sacred precincts; no single tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer sandalwood; naivedya of black-gram-and-rice vaṭakas in 64 portions; offer an equal number of lamps, leaves, and areca-nuts; prostrate (daṇḍavat) and recite the great hymn.