Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17
ततः स मृन्मयीं कृत्वा चर्ममुण्डधरां नृपः । विभवाभावतः पश्चात्फलमूलैरतर्पयत्
tataḥ sa mṛnmayīṃ kṛtvā carmamuṇḍadharāṃ nṛpaḥ | vibhavābhāvataḥ paścātphalamūlairatarpayat
Kemudian sang raja membentuk arca Dewi dari tanah liat—berbusana kulit dan berkalungkan tengkorak. Karena tiada harta, sesudah itu ia memuaskan beliau dengan persembahan buah-buahan dan umbi-umbian.
Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; specific speaker not explicit in this snippet)
Scene: A king in austere surroundings fashions a small clay image of a fierce Devī adorned with a hide and a garland of skulls; he offers fruits and roots gathered from the forest, with humble posture and minimal ritual implements.
FAQs
Devotion is measured by sincerity, not riches; even simple offerings, made with faith in a sacred place, become spiritually potent.
The worship occurs in the chapter’s Hāṭakeśvara Kṣetra setting, reinforcing the kṣetra’s sanctity for Devī-pūjā and merit.
Making an earthen image (mṛnmayī) and offering fruits and roots as upacāras is presented as an acceptable form of Mahānavamī worship when resources are limited.