Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

तत्र भक्तजनाकीर्णं प्रासादं परितो मुने । तंडुलादि चरंतौ तौ कुर्वाते च प्रदक्षिणम्

Transliteration

tatra bhaktajanākīrṇaṃ prāsādaṃ parito mune | taṃḍulādi caraṃtau tau kurvāte ca pradakṣiṇam

Translation

Dort, o Weiser, während der Tempel ringsum von Andächtigen erfüllt war, vollzogen jene beiden, während sie Reis und Ähnliches pickten, ebenfalls die Pradakṣiṇā, die ehrfürchtige Umrundung.

Word by Word

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

• भक्तजनाकीर्णम्: crowded with devotees
• भक्तजनाकीर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्तजन (प्रातिपदिक) + आकीर्ण (प्रातिपदिक; √कॄ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—भक्तजनैः आकीर्णम् (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः); आकीर्ण = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• प्रासादम्: palace/temple-building
• प्रासादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परितः: around
• परितः: Adhikarana (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परितः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/preposition) ‘around’

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तण्डुलादि: rice and the like
• तण्डुलादि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तण्डुल (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन (अव्यक्त); समासः—तण्डुलः आदिः यस्य (तत्पुरुषः/अव्ययीभाव-सदृश प्रयोगः)

• चरन्तौ: moving about/feeding
• चरन्तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (सर्वनाम)

• कुर्वाते: they do/perform
• कुर्वाते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन

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

• प्रदक्षिणम्: circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोगः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) speaking to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Trilocana (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (addressed ‘mune’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A crowded temple with devotees flowing around it; two birds peck at scattered rice yet join the circumambulating stream, moving in a small circle near the base of the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• devotees (bhakta-jana)
• prāsāda (temple)
• pigeons (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a holy place, even ordinary actions become worship when aligned with devotion and sacred custom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The prāsāda/temple of Trilocana Śiva in Kāśī, surrounded by devotees.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā around the temple, presented as a regular devotional act.