Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

धूपदीपादिनैवेद्यैः स्रङ्मालागुरुचन्दनैः । अर्चां कुर्वन्ति ये विष्णोः पठेयुः प्राक्तनीं कथाम्

Transliteration

dhūpadīpādinaivedyaiḥ sraṅmālāgurucandanaiḥ | arcāṃ kurvanti ye viṣṇoḥ paṭheyuḥ prāktanīṃ kathām

Translation

جو لوگ دھوپ، دیپ اور نَیویدیہ کے ساتھ، ہار، خوشبو اور چندن سمیت وِشنو کی ارچنا کرتے ہیں، انہیں چاہیے کہ پروردگار کی قدیم مقدّس کتھا کا پاٹھ کریں۔

Word by Word

• धूप: incense
• धूप: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (stem in compound) — Masculine, Nom/Acc, Singular (as compound member)

• दीप: lamp
• दीप: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (stem in compound) — Masculine, Nom/Acc, Singular (as compound member)

• आदि: and so on
• आदि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थे ‘etc.’ — Indeclinable, indicating “and the like”

• नैवेद्यैः: with food-offerings
• नैवेद्यैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• स्रक्: garland
• स्रक्: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रज्/स्रक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (stem in compound) — Feminine, Nom/Acc, Singular (as compound member)

• माला: wreath/garland
• माला: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (stem in compound) — Feminine, Nom/Acc, Singular (as compound member)

• गुरु: aloeswood/fragrant resin
• गुरु: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अत्र ‘गुग्गुलु/अगुरु’), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (stem in compound) — Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular (as compound member)

• चन्दनैः: with sandalwood
• चन्दनैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• अर्चाम्: worship
• अर्चाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• कुर्वन्ति: they perform
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Present indicative, 3rd person, Plural

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural (relative pronoun)

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular

• पठेयुः: should recite
• पठेयुः: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Optative, 3rd person, Plural

• प्राक्तनीम्: former/previous
• प्राक्तनीम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राक्तनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• कथाम्: story
• कथाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

Speaker

Deductive (Revākhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā tīrtha-mahātmya ambit)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs Viṣṇu-arcana: incense smoke curls upward, a steady lamp flame, naivedya on a leaf-plate, garlands and sandal paste offered; beside the shrine a palm-leaf manuscript is read aloud as the ‘prācīna kathā’.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual worship is completed by remembrance and narration—pūjā joined with kathā deepens devotion and understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named in this verse; it describes a standard Vaiṣṇava worship pattern applicable at tirthas and temples.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer dhūpa, dīpa, naivedya, garlands, aguru, and sandal to Viṣṇu, and recite an ancient sacred story.