Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

स्नापयित्वा जगन्नाथं पुष्पमालावरोहणम् । कुरुते प्रतिपुष्पं तु स्वर्णनिष्कायुतं फलम्

Transliteration

snāpayitvā jagannāthaṃ puṣpamālāvarohaṇam | kurute pratipuṣpaṃ tu svarṇaniṣkāyutaṃ phalam

Translation

既为宇宙之主阇甘那陀沐浴供养，复以花鬘奉安其身，则每一朵花皆得等同一枚金“尼湿迦”的福果。

Word by Word

• स्नापयित्वा: having bathed (caused to bathe)
• स्नापयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), परस्मैपद-प्रयोग; णिच्-प्रयोजक (causative) भावः

• जगन्नाथम्: Lord of the world (Jagannātha)
• जगन्नाथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + नाथ (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जगतः नाथः)

• पुष्पमालावरोहणम्: adorning with a flower-garland
• पुष्पमालावरोहणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प + माला + अवरोहण (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (पुष्पमालायाः अवरोहणम् = 'placing/adorning with a garland')

• कुरुते: does/performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• प्रतिपुष्पम्: for each flower
• प्रतिपुष्पम्: Avyaya-bhāva (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (indeclinable sense)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Avyaya-bhāva (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात

• स्वर्णनिष्कायुतम्: amounting to ten-thousand gold niṣkas
• स्वर्णनिष्कायुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ण + निष्क + आयुत (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्वर्णनिष्कानाम् आयुतम् = 'ten-thousand gold niṣkas')

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa narrative voice addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpāla (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sanctum where Jagannātha/Kṛṣṇa is freshly bathed; devotees lift a long flower garland, placing it upon the deity as lamps glow and attendants hold vessels of water.

Characters & Entities

• Jagannātha (as epithet of Kṛṣṇa)
• Abhiṣeka
• Puṣpamālā (garland)
• Dvārakā (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional offerings made with care—even flower by flower—are counted as immense merit when offered to the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā by context, as the sacred arena where such worship is praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After bathing the deity (abhiṣeka), offer/adorning with a flower garland (puṣpa-mālā).