Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 131

Devanagari script

एवं संपूज्य विधि वत्कृत्वा पितृप्रदक्षिणाम् । प्रणम्य शिरसा देवं तत्र चार्कस्थलं प्रिये

Transliteration

evaṃ saṃpūjya vidhi vatkṛtvā pitṛpradakṣiṇām | praṇamya śirasā devaṃ tatra cārkasthalaṃ priye

Translation

هكذا، بعد أن يُقامَت العبادة على وفق الشعيرة، وبعد أداء البرادكشِنا (الطواف) إكرامًا للـPitṛ (الأسلاف)، ينبغي أن ينحني المرء برأسه ساجدًا للإله؛ ثم، يا حبيبة، ليمضِ هناك إلى أركَسْثَلا، الموضع المقدّس للشمس.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• संपूज्य: having worshipped well
• संपूज्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having duly worshipped’

• विधिवत्: according to rule
• विधिवत्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति-अव्यय (adverb)

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having done/performed’

• पितृप्रदक्षिणाम्: circumambulation for the ancestors
• पितृप्रदक्षिणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—पितॄणां प्रदक्षिणा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having bowed’

• शिरसा: with (one's) head
• शिरसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अर्कस्थलम्: the Sun's sacred spot (Arkasthala)
• अर्कस्थलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—अर्कस्य स्थलम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• प्रिये: O beloved (lady)
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (vocative), एकवचन; संबोधनम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arkasthala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as priye)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After completing worship, the pilgrim circumambulates with remembrance of the Pitṛs, bows fully, and sets out along a sacred path toward Arkasthala.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Deva
• Arka (Sūrya)
• Arkasthala
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practiced through correct sequence: honoring gods and ancestors, then approaching the tīrtha with humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arkasthala within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, a Sun-associated sacred spot in the Prabhāsa Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform worship according to rule, do Pitṛ-pradakṣiṇā (circumambulation for ancestors), then bow and proceed to Arkasthala.