Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

ततस्तु पंचभिर्मन्त्रैस्तैरेव स्मृतिमागतैः । पंचभिर्मुष्टिभिर्देवी वालुकोत्थैः प्रपूजिता

Transliteration

tatastu paṃcabhirmantraistaireva smṛtimāgataiḥ | paṃcabhirmuṣṭibhirdevī vālukotthaiḥ prapūjitā

Translation

แล้วข้าพเจ้าก็สวดมนต์ทั้งห้าบทเดิมที่หวนคืนสู่ความทรงจำ บูชาเทวีอย่างบริบูรณ์ ด้วยทรายกำมือทั้งห้า

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = 'thereafter/then'

• तु: indeed, and then
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/पदपूरक) = 'but/indeed'

• पञ्चभिः: with five
• पञ्चभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• मन्त्रैः: by/with mantras
• मन्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• तैः: with those
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: only, indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) = 'only/just'

• स्मृतिम्: memory, recollection
• स्मृतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• आगतैः: having attained (memory)
• आगतैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) + गत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; 'having come/attained'

• पञ्चभिः: with five
• पञ्चभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• मुष्टिभिः: with handfuls/fists
• मुष्टिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• वालुकोत्थैः: with (things) arisen from sand
• वालुकोत्थैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वालुका (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वालुकायाः उत्थाः = 'arisen from sand'); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• प्रपूजिता: was duly worshipped
• प्रपूजिता: Kriya (Passive predicate/कर्मणि क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-पूज् (धातु) + पूजित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे 'was worshipped'

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (describing the exact method of worship)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim woman at a sandy riverbank/shore forms a simple worship: five handfuls of sand placed as offerings while reciting five remembered mantras to Devī.

Characters & Entities

• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right remembrance (smṛti) and mantra, joined with devotion, make even simple acts into complete worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practice is taught within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, though this verse does not identify the site by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use a mantra-pañcaka (five mantras) and offer five handfuls of sand to worship Devī.