Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तत्र संस्थापयेत्पृथ्वीं पंचगव्येन पार्थिव । यथोक्तमंत्रैस्तल्लिंगैस्ततः शुद्धोदकेन तु

Transliteration

tatra saṃsthāpayetpṛthvīṃ paṃcagavyena pārthiva | yathoktamaṃtraistalliṃgaistataḥ śuddhodakena tu

Translation

Di sana, wahai raja, hendaklah dipasang dengan sempurna perwujudan suci Pṛthvī (Ibu Bumi) dengan pañcagavya, iaitu lima hasil lembu. Kemudian, dengan mantra-mantra yang ditetapkan serta tanda-tanda ritual yang tepat, sucikanlah dengan air yang murni.

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.