Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 136

Devanagari script

इति कृत्वा महादेवि पुनर्भानौ प्रदक्षिणम् । कुर्यान्मन्त्रेण देवेशि सप्तकृत्वो वरानने

Transliteration

iti kṛtvā mahādevi punarbhānau pradakṣiṇam | kuryānmantreṇa deveśi saptakṛtvo varānane

Translation

بعد أن يُفعل ذلك، أيتها الإلهة العظمى، ينبغي أن يُعاد الطواف (برادكشِنا) حول بهانو (الشمس). يا سيدة الآلهة، يا حسنة الوجه، ليُؤدَّ ذلك مع تلاوة مانترا—سبع مرات.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyopasaṃhāra (quotative/closure)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उक्त्यर्थ/समाप्त्यर्थ) ‘thus’

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• महादेवि: O Mahādevī
• महादेवि: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā (प्रातिपदिक) + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘महादेवी’

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (repetition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरावृत्तिवाचक) ‘again’

• भानौ: at/around Bhānu (the Sun)
• भानौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; locative ‘around/at the Sun’

• प्रदक्षिणम्: circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग) + दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘circumambulation’ (as object of kuryāt)

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should do’

• मन्त्रेण: with a mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental

• देवेशि: O mistress of the gods
• देवेशि: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘देवानाम् ईशी’ = ‘mistress of gods’

• सप्तकृत्वः: seven times
• सप्तकृत्वः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (frequency)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + कृत्वस्/कृत्वः (अव्ययार्थ-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास, अव्यय (आवृत्तिवाचक) ‘seven times’

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘वरम् आननम् यस्याः’ (epithet)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Sūrya-upāsanā within the kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī/Devī (addressed as mahādevī, deveśi, varānanā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands facing the Sun at dawn near the sacred shore/temple precinct, then begins a clockwise circumambulation path marked by lotuses or lamps; Devī is invoked in the narration as the recipient of instruction.

Characters & Entities

• Bhānu (Sūrya)
• Pradakṣiṇā
• mantra (generic)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is strengthened through repeated, mantra-supported movement around the divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arkasthala in Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where Sun pradakṣiṇā is prescribed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Bhānu (Sun) pradakṣiṇā with mantra seven times.