Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

मंदारैर्बिल्वपत्रैश्च द्रोणैर्मरुबकैर्बकैः । ग्रंथिपर्णैर्दमनकैः सुरभूचूतपल्लवैः

Transliteration

maṃdārairbilvapatraiśca droṇairmarubakairbakaiḥ | graṃthiparṇairdamanakaiḥ surabhūcūtapallavaiḥ

Translation

他亦以mandāra之花与bilva之叶敬奉主；以droṇa与marubaka之花；以baka之花；以节叶之嫩枝；以damanaka；并以芒果树芬芳的嫩芽新叶而礼敬。

Word by Word

• मंदारैः: with mandāra flowers/trees
• मंदारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मंदार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• बिल्वपत्रैः: with bilva leaves
• बिल्वपत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल्व + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (bilvasya patram) (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural; genitive tatpurusha)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• द्रोणैः: with droṇa flowers/plants
• द्रोणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• मरुबकैः: with marubaka flowers
• मरुबकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरुबक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• बकैः: with baka flowers
• बकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• ग्रंथिपर्णैः: with knotty-leaved (plants)/leaves
• ग्रंथिपर्णैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रन्थि + पर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (ग्रन्थियुक्तानि पर्णानि) (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural; descriptive compound)

• दमनकैः: with damanaka flowers
• दमनकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दमनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• सुरभूचूतपल्लवैः: with tender shoots of surabhū and mango (cūta)
• सुरभूचूतपल्लवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरभू + चूत + पल्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (surabhū-चूतयोः पल्लवाः) (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; copulative compound)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A shrine scene where mandāra blossoms and bilva leaves are placed in orderly layers, alongside assorted wildflowers and fragrant mango shoots, forming a green-and-gold offering mound before Śaṅkara.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Śukra
• Bilva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-bhakti is shown through abundant, pure, and fragrant offerings—especially bilva leaves, renowned in Śaiva worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), portrayed as the supreme place for Śiva’s worship through traditional upacāras.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering bilva leaves and various flowers and pallavas (tender shoots) as part of formal Śiva-pūjā.