Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

पृथिव्यापश्च तेजश्च वायुराकाशमेव च । सृष्ट्यर्थं रक्षयेदेषा ततः स्यात्पंचपिंडिका

Transliteration

pṛthivyāpaśca tejaśca vāyurākāśameva ca | sṛṣṭyarthaṃ rakṣayedeṣā tataḥ syātpaṃcapiṃḍikā

Translation

Terre, eau, feu, vent et aussi éther : ces cinq principes, Elle les protège pour l’acte de la création. C’est pourquoi on la connaît sous le nom de Pañcapiṇḍikā, la Déesse incarnée en cinq piṇḍa sacrés.

Word by Word

• पृथिवी: earth
• पृथिवी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• आपः: waters
• आपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ap (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (बहुवचन-प्रयोग), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तेजः: fire/energy, brilliance
• तेजः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

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

• आकाशम्: ether, space
• आकाशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सृष्ट्यर्थम्: for the sake of creation
• सृष्ट्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sṛṣṭi + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (as purpose)

• रक्षयेत्: should protect/preserve
• रक्षयेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• एषा: this (she)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eṣā (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ततः: therefore, from that
• ततः: Hetu/Apādāna (From that/therefore)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

• स्यात्: would be, becomes
• स्यात्: Kriyā (Copula/भवति-अर्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पञ्चपिण्डिका: (the) Pañcapiṇḍikā (fivefold form)
• पञ्चपिण्डिका: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca + piṇḍikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; leading into the tīrtha’s form and worship)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcapiṇḍikā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī shown as guardian of the five elements: earth as mountain/field, water as river, fire as flame, wind as swirling banners, ether as starry space—each gathered into five sacred piṇḍas around her.

Characters & Entities

• Pañcapiṇḍikā
• Pañcabhūta (earth, water, fire, wind, ether)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess sustains creation through the five elements; worship aligns one with cosmic order (dharma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Pañcapiṇḍikā (Gaurī) manifestation associated with the tīrtha being described in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies element-oriented worship of the Goddess in her fivefold form, elaborated in subsequent verses.