Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

भोजयित्वा यथान्यायं प्रदक्षिणमुदाहरेत् । प्रीयतां मे महादेवः सपत्नीको वृषध्वजः

Transliteration

bhojayitvā yathānyāyaṃ pradakṣiṇamudāharet | prīyatāṃ me mahādevaḥ sapatnīko vṛṣadhvajaḥ

Translation

Nachdem man sie regelgemäß gespeist hat, soll man die Pradakṣiṇā vollziehen und sprechen: „Möge Mahādeva, Śiva mit dem Stierbanner, zusammen mit seiner Gemahlin, an mir Gefallen finden.“

Word by Word

• भोजयित्वा: having fed
• भोजयित्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); णिच्-प्रयोग (having caused to eat)

• यथा: according to
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (according to/as)

• अन्यायम्: proper rule/procedure
• अन्यायम्: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे क्रियाविशेषणवत् (as per rule)

• प्रदक्षिणम्: circumambulation (pradakṣiṇā)
• प्रदक्षिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेष्य (object of uttering/performing)

• उदाहरेत्: should utter/recite
• उदाहरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + आ + हृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रीयताम्: may (he) be pleased
• प्रीयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आशीर्लिङ्गार्थे (benedictive sense: may be pleased)

• मे: of me/my
• मे: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (Great God, Śiva)
• महादेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् देवः)

• सपत्नीको: together with (his) consort
• सपत्नीको: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + पत्नी + क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (पत्नीया सह)

• वृषध्वजः: the bull-bannered one (Śiva)
• वृषध्वजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वृषः ध्वजः यस्य)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa-sattama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee circumambulates a liṅga shrine with Nandi emblem; hands folded, lips reciting; the brāhmaṇa couple has been honored and sits to the side; lamps flicker.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva
• Śiva (Vṛṣadhvaja)
• Pārvatī/Umā (implied consort)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual action becomes complete when sealed with devotion—circumambulation and a direct prayer seeking Śiva’s pleasure.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The rite belongs to the tīrtha-context introduced earlier in the chapter; this verse itself does not name it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After feeding guests, perform pradakṣiṇā and recite a prayer to Mahādeva (Śiva) together with His consort.