Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तथान्यापि च तत्रास्ति गौरी वै पञ्चपिंडिका । लक्ष्म्या संस्थापिता चैव मानुषत्वंव्यवस्थया

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tathānyāpi ca tatrāsti gaurī vai pañcapiṃḍikā | lakṣmyā saṃsthāpitā caiva mānuṣatvaṃvyavasthayā

Translation

سوت نے کہا: وہاں ایک اور روپ بھی ہے—گوری جو پانچ پِنڈیکا کے نام سے مشہور ہے۔ انسانی حالت کی بھلائی کے لیے مقررہ ترتیب کے مطابق، خود دیوی لکشمی نے اس کی پرتیِشٹھا کی۔

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; वक्ता

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• tathā: likewise; similarly
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• anyā: another
• anyā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying gaurī)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also/even)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• asti: is; exists
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• gaurī: Gaurī
• gaurī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaurī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता (of asti)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• pañcapiṃḍikā: (the one called) Pañcapiṇḍikā
• pañcapiṃḍikā: Samanadhikarana (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca-piṃḍikā (प्रातिपदिक; पञ्च + पिण्डिका)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; संज्ञा (name/epithet)

• lakṣmyā: by Lakṣmī
• lakṣmyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्तृकरणे (agent/instrument)

• saṃsthāpitā: installed; established
• saṃsthāpitā: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-sthā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे (set up/installed)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• eva: indeed; just
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphasis/only)

• mānuṣatvam: human status; humanity
• mānuṣatvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānuṣatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• vyavasthayā: by arrangement; according to the prescribed order
• vyavasthayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyavasthā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेतौ/करणे (by arrangement/according to ordinance)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcapiṇḍikā-Gaurī (within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta describes a shrine where Gaurī is worshipped as Pañcapiṇḍikā—symbolically represented by five rounded piṇḍa-like forms—installed by Lakṣmī for human welfare; pilgrims offer flowers and water.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Gaurī
• Lakṣmī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace becomes accessible through specific sacred forms (mūrtis) established for the benefit of human beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Nāgara-khaṇḍa tīrtha setting where Gaurī is worshiped as Pañcapiṇḍikā; the verse points to a localized shrine within the Tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; it introduces the deity-form and its consecration (saṃsthāpana).