Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

तस्माद्वद महाभागे मृन्मयां पंचपिंडिकाम् । नित्यमर्चयसि त्वं किं सौभा ग्यस्य विवर्धनम्

Transliteration

tasmādvada mahābhāge mṛnmayāṃ paṃcapiṃḍikām | nityamarcayasi tvaṃ kiṃ saubhā gyasya vivardhanam

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ മഹാഭാഗ്യവതീ, പറയുക—നീ നിത്യം അർച്ചിക്കുന്ന മണ്ണിൽ നിർമ്മിച്ച ആ ‘പഞ്ചപിണ്ഡിക’ എന്താണ്? അത് സ്ത്രീസൗഭാഗ്യം എങ്ങനെ വർധിപ്പിക്കുന്നു?

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Discourse (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः; तस्मात् = therefore (ablatival adverb)

• वद: tell (me/us)
• वद: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (वदँ व्यक्तायां वाचि) (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महाभागे: O fortunate lady
• महाभागे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; ‘महाभागा’ इत्यस्य सम्बोधनरूपम्

• मृन्मयाम्: made of clay
• मृन्मयाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक) + मयट्-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त/तद्धित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘मृन्मयी’ = made of clay

• पञ्चपिण्डिकाम्: the five clay lumps/balls
• पञ्चपिण्डिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + पिण्डिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (five-lump/balls)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (always)

• अर्चयसि: you worship
• अर्चयसि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्च् (अर्चँ पूजायाम्) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• किम्: why/what
• किम्: Discourse (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः; प्रश्नार्थक (why/what)

• सौभाग्यस्य: of good fortune
• सौभाग्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + भाग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; ‘good fortune’

• विवर्धनम्: increase/means of increasing
• विवर्धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + √वृध् (वृधँ वर्धने) (धातु) + ल्युट् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्रियानाम (act/means of increasing)

Speaker

Saptnyaḥ (co-wives)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcapiṇḍikā (mṛnmayī)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close view of a small clay formation of five rounded lumps (pañcapiṇḍikā) on a clean altar; Padmāvatī offers flowers and water daily while co-wives watch with wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Pañcapiṇḍikā
• Gaurī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma often frames prosperity as supported by regular worship performed with faith and discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a tīrtha-glorifying chapter (Tīrthamāhātmya), but this line focuses on a household rite rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily worship (arcana) of an earthen pañcapiṇḍikā for the increase of saubhāgya.