Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अहंकारविहीनं च स्नानं धूपानुपनम् । पुष्पनैवेद्यसंयुक्तमर्घदानसमन्वितम्

Transliteration

ahaṃkāravihīnaṃ ca snānaṃ dhūpānupanam | puṣpanaivedyasaṃyuktamarghadānasamanvitam

Translation

اَہنکار سے خالی ہو کر اسنان کرے اور دھوپ اَर्पن کرے؛ پھولوں اور نَیویدیہ کے ساتھ، اور اَرجھیا کی نذر اور دان کے ذریعے اسے کامل کرے۔

Word by Word

• अहंकारविहीनम्: free from ego
• अहंकारविहीनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहंकार (प्रातिपदिक) + विहीन (कृदन्त; वि-√हा)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्नानम्) — ‘devoid of ego’

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• धूपानुपनम्: incense and anointing
• धूपानुपनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (incense and unguent/anointing)

• पुष्पनैवेद्यसंयुक्तम्: accompanied by flowers and naivedya
• पुष्पनैवेद्यसंयुक्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (कृदन्त; सम्-√युज्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्नानम्/उपचारः) — ‘accompanied by flowers and food-offering’

• अर्घदानसमन्वितम्: together with argha-offering
• अर्घदानसमन्वितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त; सम्-अनु-√इ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् — ‘endowed with offering of argha’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A worshipper, freshly bathed, offers incense, flowers, and naivedya before the deity; arghya is poured from a small vessel; a gift is set aside—his posture humble, head bowed.

Characters & Entities

• snāna
• dhūpa
• naivedya
• arghya
• dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer offerings gain their true power when paired with inner humility—worship must be ego-free.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse enumerates worship-components applicable broadly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna with humility, offering dhūpa (incense), puṣpa (flowers), naivedya (food), arghya, and dāna (gifts).