Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अष्टोत्तरशतं चैव यः करोति प्रदक्षिणाम् । फलहस्तः स मुच्येत ह्याजन्ममरणादघात्

Transliteration

aṣṭottaraśataṃ caiva yaḥ karoti pradakṣiṇām | phalahastaḥ sa mucyeta hyājanmamaraṇādaghāt

Translation

Wer hundertacht Umrundungen (pradakṣiṇā) vollzieht und dabei Fruchtgaben in der Hand hält, wird wahrlich von der Sünde befreit, die durch wiederholte Geburten und Tode anhaftet.

Word by Word

• अष्टोत्तरशतम्: one hundred and eight
• अष्टोत्तरशतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अष्टोत्तरं शतम् = 108) Accusative singular (संख्या)

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Relative pronoun, Nominative singular

• करोति: does/performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• प्रदक्षिणाम्: circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• फलहस्तः: having fruit in hand
• फलहस्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (फलः हस्ते यस्य सः) Nominative singular qualifying सः

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Demonstrative pronoun, Nominative singular

• मुच्येत: would be released
• मुच्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (passive sense: is freed)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• आ: up to
• आ: Sambandha (Limit/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अव्यय (पर्यन्त-भावे: 'up to')

• जन्ममरणात्: from birth and death (cycle)
• जन्ममरणात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (जन्म च मरणं च) Ablative singular

• अघात्: from sin
• अघात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Tīrthamāhātmya; likely Sūta relating the Māhātmya to Ṛṣis)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee circles a temple 108 times, holding fruits in both hands, with other pilgrims and a visible count-marking mala; the deity’s shrine stands at the center as the axis of devotion.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional discipline—especially prescribed circumambulation with offerings—purifies deep-rooted sin and supports liberation from saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to a Tīrthamāhātmya passage in Nāgara Khaṇḍa, praising the merit of worship at the local deity/tīrtha described in Adhyāya 155 (site name not explicit in this single verse).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform 108 clockwise pradakṣiṇās while holding fruit as an offering (phalahasta).