Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

चतुर्थे प्रहरे प्राप्ते तां गौरीं पंचपिंडिकाम् । भृंगराजेन संपूज्य मंत्रेणानेन भक्तितः

Transliteration

caturthe prahare prāpte tāṃ gaurīṃ paṃcapiṃḍikām | bhṛṃgarājena saṃpūjya maṃtreṇānena bhaktitaḥ

Translation

നാലാം പ്രഹരം എത്തിയാൽ, ആ ഗൗരിയെ പഞ്ചപിണ്ഡികാ രൂപമായി ധരിച്ചു, ഭൃംഗരാജം കൊണ്ട് സമ്യക്പൂജ ചെയ്ത്, ഈ മന്ത്രത്തോടെ ഭക്തിയോടെ ആരാധിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• चतुर्थे: in the fourth
• चतुर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (प्रहरे)

• प्रहरे: watch/period (of the day)
• प्रहरे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• प्राप्ते: when (it) has arrived
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राप्त (कृदन्त; प्र-√आप् (आप्नोति) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (गौरीम्)

• गौरीम्: Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• गौरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पञ्च-पिण्डिकाम्: the five-lump (form/idol)
• पञ्च-पिण्डिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + पिण्डिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (पञ्च पिण्डिकाः यस्याः/पञ्चसंख्या-युक्ता पिण्डिका)

• भृङ्गराजेन: with bhṛṅgarāja (herb)
• भृङ्गराजेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृङ्गराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• संपूज्य: having worshipped
• संपूज्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-√पूज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययीभाव-भावे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund): पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having worshipped)

• मन्त्रेण: with a mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (मन्त्रेण)

• भक्तितः: devoutly
• भक्तितः: Hetu/Prayojana (Cause/Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (manner/cause)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya instructional passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaurī Pañcapiṇḍikā (form within the tīrtha context)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dusk in the temple, Gaurī is represented as Pañcapiṇḍikā—five sacred lumps/marks on a pedestal—adorned with bhṛṅgarāja leaves/flowers; lamps are lit as the devotee chants the mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī
• Pañcapiṇḍikā
• Bhṛṅgarāja
• Prahara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time-disciplined worship honors the Goddess’s specific forms, aligning devotion with sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is within a Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya ritual context; the specific site is not named in the provided verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

In the fourth prahara, worship Gaurī as Pañcapiṇḍikā, offering bhṛṅgarāja and reciting the given mantra.