Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

महद्भूतानि चैतानि पञ्च देवी यतव्रता । ततः संपूजयामास पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः

Transliteration

mahadbhūtāni caitāni pañca devī yatavratā | tataḥ saṃpūjayāmāsa puṣpadhūpānulepanaiḥ

Translation

هذه الخمسة هي العناصرُ العظمى؛ ثم إن الإلهةَ الثابتةَ على نذرها عبدتها عبادةً تامةً بالزهور والبخور والأدهان العطرة.

Word by Word

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (भूतानि)

• भूतानि: elements/beings
• भूतानि: Karma/Predicate (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Karma/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-अव्यय, परिमाणे; विशेषणम् (एतानि/भूतानि)

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यतव्रता: of restrained vow
• यतव्रता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यत-व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (यतं व्रतं यस्याः/या) = ‘of restrained vow’

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana/Temporal (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तरार्थे

• संपूजयामास: she worshipped
• संपूजयामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्; causative stem (पूजय-) = ‘worshipped/caused worship’

• पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः: with flowers, incense, and unguents
• पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प-धूप-अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (पुष्पाणि च धूपाः च अनुलेपनानि च)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrative voice; speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī offers flowers, incense, and fragrant paste to the unified five clay-lumps, now radiant with elemental presence; the scene is orderly, vow-bound, and fragrant.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Girijā/Pārvatī implied)
• Pañcamahābhūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vowed discipline (vrata) expressed through pūjā sanctifies the elemental world, teaching reverence for creation as divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to a tīrthamāhātmya section, but this line itself does not specify the site name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā using puṣpa (flowers), dhūpa (incense), and anulepana (fragrant unguents).