Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

अपरं नागरो योऽत्र त्वस्मिन्नहनि संस्थिते । प्रदक्षिणात्रयं कृत्वा तव दत्त्वा फलत्रयम्

Transliteration

aparaṃ nāgaro yo'tra tvasminnahani saṃsthite | pradakṣiṇātrayaṃ kṛtvā tava dattvā phalatrayam

Translation

“আরও: এখানকার যে কোনো নাগর-নিবাসী, যে এই দিনেই এখানে এসে অবস্থান করবে—তিনবার প্রদক্ষিণ করে এবং আপনাকে তিনটি ফল অর্পণ করে—”

Word by Word

• अपरम्: another/further
• अपरम्: Qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘another/further’ (elliptic)

• नागरः: a townsman/citizen
• नागरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Spatial adverb (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• अस्मिन्: on this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• अहनि: on the day
• अहनि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• संस्थिते: when (he/it) is present/established
• संस्थिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (PPP), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्गे सति ‘when (it) is situated/when he is present’; सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (locative absolute nuance)

• प्रदक्षिणात्रयम्: three circumambulations
• प्रदक्षिणात्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (त्रयः प्रदक्षिणाः)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; धातुः—कृ

• तव: to you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• फलत्रयम्: three fruits
• फलत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (त्रीणि फलानि)

Speaker

Dhārā (continuing her boon-request)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhārā-nāma-yukta Devī-prāsāda at Nāgara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Residents of Nāgara arrive on the festival day, circle the Devī temple three times, and place three fruits before the deity; the courtyard is lively yet orderly with lamps and garlands.

Characters & Entities

• Dhārā
• Devī
• Nāgara (people/place)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple offerings and reverent circumambulation at a sacred place carry powerful merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāgarakhaṇḍa shrine/tīrtha where Devī is worshiped and circumambulated (Adhyāya 169).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform three pradakṣiṇās and offer three fruits to the Goddess on the specified sacred day.