Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

पृथ्व्यंबु तेजो वायुश्च गगनं यन्मयं विदुः । मूलप्रकृतिरूपा या सा चकारोत्तम तपः

Transliteration

pṛthvyaṃbu tejo vāyuśca gaganaṃ yanmayaṃ viduḥ | mūlaprakṛtirūpā yā sā cakārottama tapaḥ

Translation

Sie, von der man weiß, dass Erde, Wasser, Feuer, Wind und Himmel aus ihr bestehen; sie, deren Gestalt die Mūla-Prakṛti ist, vollbrachte die höchste Askese.

Word by Word

• पृथ्वी: earth
• पृथ्वी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समाहार-गणना (पञ्चमहाभूत-निर्देशे)

• अम्बु: water
• अम्बु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• तेजः: fire/energy
• तेजः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• वायुः: wind/air
• वायुः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

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

• गगनम्: sky/ether
• गगनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गगन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• यन्मयम्: consisting of which / made of which
• यन्मयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यस्य मयम् = made of which)

• विदुः: they know
• विदुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• मूलप्रकृतिरूपा: having the form of the primordial nature
• मूलप्रकृतिरूपा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मूलप्रकृतेः रूपा = having the form of the root-nature)

• या: who/which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• सा: she/that
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तद्-प्रत्यय (correlative pronoun)

• चकार: did/performed
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• उत्तमम्: supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तपः-विशेषण

• तपः: austerity/penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

Speaker

Gālava (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Devi is envisioned as the very fabric of the five elements—earth beneath, waters nearby, a sacrificial flame, moving wind, and vast sky—while she performs supreme austerity, unmoved amid elemental motion.

Characters & Entities

• Pañcabhūtas (earth, water, fire, wind, sky)
• Mūlaprakṛti
• Devī/Pārvatī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The cosmic source itself models supreme discipline—affirming tapas as a potent, sanctifying power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is embedded in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya narrative of the Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Uttama-tapas (the highest austerity) is praised as the practice undertaken.