Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

पंचभूतमयी देवी पंचधा या व्यवस्थिता । अर्घ्यमेनं मया दत्तं सा गृह्णातु सुरे श्वरी

Transliteration

paṃcabhūtamayī devī paṃcadhā yā vyavasthitā | arghyamenaṃ mayā dattaṃ sā gṛhṇātu sure śvarī

Translation

O Göttin, aus den fünf Elementen gewoben und in fünffacher Gestalt gegründet: Möge Sureshvarī, die Herrin der Götter, dieses von mir dargebrachte Arghya annehmen.

Word by Word

• पञ्चभूतमयी: consisting of the five elements
• पञ्चभूतमयी: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च-भूत-मयी (प्रातिपदिक; पञ्च + भूत + मयी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; देवी इति विशेषण (पञ्चभूतैः मयी)

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

• पञ्चधा: in fivefold manner
• पञ्चधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्चधा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (in five ways)

• या: who
• या: Anvaya/Sambandha (Relative pronoun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• व्यवस्थिता: is established/arranged
• व्यवस्थिता: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-अव-√स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; देवी इति विशेषण

• अर्घ्यम्: arghya offering
• अर्घ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एनम्: this
• एनम्: Visheshana (Determiner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्घ्यम् इत्यस्य अन्वयः (enam = this)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन; कर्तृकरणभावे (by me)

• दत्तम्: given/offered
• दत्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्घ्यम् इति विशेषण

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गृह्णातु: may (she) accept
• गृह्णातु: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुरेश्वरी: queen/lady of the gods
• सुरेश्वरी: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-ईश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + ईश्वरी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (सुराणाम् ईश्वरी)

Speaker

Lakṣmī (contextual; mantra-like address within the rite)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up ritual moment: the devotee lifts an arghya vessel toward Devī; five elemental motifs shimmer around her form as if responding; incense and lamp-light frame the offering.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Sureśvarī
• Pañcabhūta (five elements)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess is immanent in the elemental cosmos; honoring her through arghya is honoring the sacred structure of reality itself.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to a tīrtha-focused section (Tīrthamāhātmya), implying worship performed at a sanctified water-location, though no single named tīrtha appears in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A spoken arghya-invocation requesting the Goddess (Sureśvarī) to accept the offered arghya.