Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

नीराजनैर्गुग्गुलुभिर्दशां गादि सुधूपकैः । कर्पूरवर्तिकाद्यैश्च देवार्चार्थैरनेकशः

Transliteration

nīrājanairguggulubhirdaśāṃ gādi sudhūpakaiḥ | karpūravartikādyaiśca devārcārthairanekaśaḥ

Translation

以供奉尼罗阇那 nīrājana（即 ārati 摇灯礼），以供养古古卢 guggulu 之香，以十味香等上妙熏香诸供，并以樟脑灯芯等物——为神明礼拜而屡屡奉献——（则增益迦尸 Kāśī 寺院供事之功德）。

Word by Word

• नीराजनैः: by ārati/lamps for waving (nirājana)
• नीराजनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीराजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural)

• गुग्गुलुभिः: by guggulu resin (incense)
• गुग्गुलुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुग्गुलु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• दशाम्: a wick/cloth-strip (daśā)
• दशाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• गादि: and the like (gādi)
• गादि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गादि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यक्त-प्रयोग; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular) इव; ‘इत्यादि’ अर्थे (etc.)

• सुधूपकैः: by fine incense (fumigations)
• सुधूपकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-धूपक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural); सुन्दराः धूपकाः इति कर्मधारय

• कर्पूरवर्तिकाद्यैः: by camphor wicks and the like
• कर्पूरवर्तिकाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्पूर-वर्तिका-आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Plural); कर्पूरस्य वर्तिकाः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; आदि-समासान्त (etc.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक निपात (Conjunction)

• देवार्चार्थैः: by items meant for worship of the deity
• देवार्चार्थैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-अर्चा-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural); देवानाम् अर्चायाः अर्थाः/उपकरणानि इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• अनेकशः: in many ways / repeatedly
• अनेकशः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकार/प्रचुरतावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (Indeclinable adverb: in many instances/abundantly)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Evening ārati in a Kāśī shrine: priests wave multi-wick lamps; thick guggulu incense curls upward; camphor flame flares bright; devotees stand with folded hands as smoke and light fill the sanctum.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• devārcā (deity worship)
• nīrājana (ārati)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship is strengthened by supplying pure, fragrant offerings—light and incense—performed repeatedly with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s temples, where such pūjā-upacāras are offered as part of the city’s sacred life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Providing ārati materials, incense (guggulu, daśāṃga-dhūpa), and camphor wicks for devārcā.