Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

गन्धैर्माल्यैः सुरभिभिर्धूपैर्नीराजनैरपि । अर्चयित्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठान्नमश्चक्रे समाहिता

Transliteration

gandhairmālyaiḥ surabhibhirdhūpairnīrājanairapi | arcayitvā dvijaśreṣṭhānnamaścakre samāhitā

Translation

خوشبوؤں، معطر ہاروں، دھوپ اور نیرाजन (آرتی) کے ساتھ اُس نے اُن برگزیدہ برہمنوں کی پوجا کی؛ پھر دل کو یکسو کر کے ادب سے سجدۂ تعظیم (نمسکار) کیا۔

Word by Word

• गन्धैः: with fragrances
• गन्धैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• माल्यैः: with garlands
• माल्यैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• सुरभिभिः: fragrant
• सुरभिभिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुरभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (गन्धैः/धूपैः)

• धूपैः: with incense
• धूपैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• नीराजनैः: with ārati offerings (wavings of light)
• नीराजनैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीराजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• अर्चयित्वा: having worshipped
• अर्चयित्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) with णिच् (causative/denominative) stem ‘अर्चय-’; ‘having worshipped’

• द्विजश्रेष्ठान्: the best Brahmins
• द्विजश्रेष्ठान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘श्रेष्ठान् द्विजान्’

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Karma (Object within idiom)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: निपात/अव्यय (salutation particle), प्रायः ‘नमः’ इति अव्ययप्रयोगः

• चक्रे: made / offered
• चक्रे: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• समाहिता: composed, attentive
• समाहिता: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘collected/attentive’

Speaker

Narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The queen offers perfumes and garlands, waves incense and lamps in nīrājana before the brāhmaṇa recipients (now treated as divine), then bows with a steady, composed expression; smoke curls and lamp flames illuminate faces.

Characters & Entities

• dvijaśreṣṭha (excellent brāhmaṇas)
• nīrājana (ārati)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through both offerings and humility; worship culminates in reverent surrender (namaskāra) with a steady mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is glorified in this verse; it focuses on worship procedure and dharmic honor.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Standard pūjā upacāras: gandha (perfume), mālya (garlands), dhūpa (incense), and nīrājana (ārati), followed by namaskāra.