Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तत्र संस्थापयेत्पृथ्वीं पंचगव्येन पार्थिव । यथोक्तमंत्रैस्तल्लिंगैस्ततः शुद्धोदकेन तु

Transliteration

tatra saṃsthāpayetpṛthvīṃ paṃcagavyena pārthiva | yathoktamaṃtraistalliṃgaistataḥ śuddhodakena tu

Translation

Dort, o König, soll man die heilige Gegenwart der Pṛthvī (Erde) ordnungsgemäß einsetzen, unter Verwendung des Pañcagavya, der fünf Erzeugnisse der Kuh. Danach, mit den vorgeschriebenen Mantras und den rechten rituellen Zeichen, weihe man sie mit reinem Wasser.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• संस्थापयेत्: should establish/place
• संस्थापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) [णिच् causative: संस्थापयति]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग

• पृथ्वीम्: the earth (image/ground)
• पृथ्वीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पञ्चगव्येन: with pañcagavya (five cow-products)
• पञ्चगव्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + गव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (पञ्च गव्यानि यस्मिन्/येन) = 'five cow-products'

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यथोक्तमन्त्रैः: with the prescribed mantras
• यथोक्तमन्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यथा + उक्त + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः: 'यथोक्ताः मन्त्राः' (as-prescribed mantras)

• तत्-लिङ्गैः: with those signs/marks
• तत्-लिङ्गैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः: 'तस्य लिङ्गानि' (its marks/indicators)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अपादानार्थक (then/thereafter; from that)

• शुद्धोदकेन: with pure water
• शुद्धोदकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्ध + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (pure water)

• तु: and; then
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय (particle: 'but/and then')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya instructional style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: pārthiva (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest installs a symbolic earthen form/kalasha representing Pṛthivī on the central vedī, anoints it with pañcagavya, draws ritual marks, and pours clear water in consecration while assistants hold vessels and darbha.

Characters & Entities

• Pṛthvī (Bhūmi/Medinī)
• Pañcagavya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and right procedure (vidhi) sanctify charity and worship, turning a material act into dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within a Tīrthamāhātmya context; the snippet emphasizes ritual method rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Installation/consecration of Earth (Bhūmi) using pañcagavya, prescribed mantras, ritual marks, and pure water.