Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

चतुर्थे प्रहरे प्राप्ते तां गौरीं पंचपिंडिकाम् । भृंगराजेन संपूज्य मंत्रेणानेन भक्तितः

Transliteration

caturthe prahare prāpte tāṃ gaurīṃ paṃcapiṃḍikām | bhṛṃgarājena saṃpūjya maṃtreṇānena bhaktitaḥ

Translation

Wenn die vierte Nachtwache eintritt, soll man Gaurī in ihrer Gestalt als Pañcapiṇḍikā verehren, sie mit bhṛṅgarāja ehren und dieses Mantra in Hingabe sprechen.

Word by Word

• चतुर्थे: in the fourth
• चतुर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (प्रहरे)

• प्रहरे: watch/period (of the day)
• प्रहरे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• प्राप्ते: when (it) has arrived
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राप्त (कृदन्त; प्र-√आप् (आप्नोति) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (गौरीम्)

• गौरीम्: Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• गौरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पञ्च-पिण्डिकाम्: the five-lump (form/idol)
• पञ्च-पिण्डिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + पिण्डिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (पञ्च पिण्डिकाः यस्याः/पञ्चसंख्या-युक्ता पिण्डिका)

• भृङ्गराजेन: with bhṛṅgarāja (herb)
• भृङ्गराजेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृङ्गराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• संपूज्य: having worshipped
• संपूज्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-√पूज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययीभाव-भावे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund): पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having worshipped)

• मन्त्रेण: with a mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (मन्त्रेण)

• भक्तितः: devoutly
• भक्तितः: Hetu/Prayojana (Cause/Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (manner/cause)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya instructional passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaurī Pañcapiṇḍikā (form within the tīrtha context)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dusk in the temple, Gaurī is represented as Pañcapiṇḍikā—five sacred lumps/marks on a pedestal—adorned with bhṛṅgarāja leaves/flowers; lamps are lit as the devotee chants the mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī
• Pañcapiṇḍikā
• Bhṛṅgarāja
• Prahara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time-disciplined worship honors the Goddess’s specific forms, aligning devotion with sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is within a Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya ritual context; the specific site is not named in the provided verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

In the fourth prahara, worship Gaurī as Pañcapiṇḍikā, offering bhṛṅgarāja and reciting the given mantra.