Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

एका गौरी प्रकर्तव्या पंचपिंडा यथोदिता । प्रहरेप्रहरे प्राप्ते तासु पूजां समाचरेत् । यैर्मंत्रैस्तान्निबोध त्वमेकैकस्याः पृथक्पृथक्

Transliteration

ekā gaurī prakartavyā paṃcapiṃḍā yathoditā | prahareprahare prāpte tāsu pūjāṃ samācaret | yairmaṃtraistānnibodha tvamekaikasyāḥ pṛthakpṛthak

Translation

ให้ทำรูปคาวรีองค์หนึ่งด้วยก้อนดินห้าก้อน ตามที่บัญญัติไว้ ครั้นถึงแต่ละยาม (ประหาระ) ก็ให้บูชาท่านทั้งหลาย บัดนี้จงรู้เถิด มนตร์สำหรับสักการะแต่ละองค์นั้นแยกกันอย่างไร

Word by Word

• एका: one
• एका: Visheshana (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); गौरी इति विशेषणम्

• गौरी: Gaurī (image)
• गौरी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रकर्तव्या: should be made
• प्रकर्तव्या: Vidhi (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय-विशेषणम्; कर्तव्य-प्रत्यय (gerundive: to be made)

• पञ्चपिण्डा: (having) five lumps (of clay)
• पञ्चपिण्डा: Visheshana (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); पञ्च पिण्डाः यस्याः सा इति द्विगु-समास (five-lumped)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Prakara (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/according to)

• उदिता: as stated
• उदिता: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वद् (धातु) → उदित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त; (विधिः) ‘as stated’

• प्रहरे: in a watch (of the day)
• प्रहरे: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रहरे: in each watch
• प्रहरे: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); पुनरुक्ति (repetition)

• प्राप्ते: when it has come
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• तासु: in/among those (Gaurīs)
• तासु: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम

• पूजाम्: worship
• पूजाम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Injunction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• यैः: by which
• यैः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); सम्बन्ध/सापेक्ष (relative pronoun)

• मन्त्रैः: with mantras
• मन्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तान्: those (mantras)
• तान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम

• निबोध: understand/learn
• निबोध: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Addressee as subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुषार्थे (2nd person pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एकैकस्याः: of each (Gaurī)
• एकैकस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); ‘each one’s’ (reduplicated)

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Prakara (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/विभागवाचक-अव्यय (separately)

• पृथक्: each separately
• पृथक्: Prakara (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्त-अव्यय (repetition for emphasis)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-watch night vigil: the devotee returns repeatedly to the altar, offering flowers and lamps to clay Gaurīs; each watch has a slightly different offering and mantra posture.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is structured through time and mantra—regular worship at each prahara disciplines the heart and steadies remembrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction sits within a Tīrthamāhātmya (pilgrimage) setting; this verse focuses on vrata-procedure rather than naming the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Make a Gaurī form using five clay lumps and worship in each prahara, using distinct mantras for each form.