Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

शतमष्टोत्तरं यावत्फलहस्तः प्रदक्षिणाम् । करोति विष्णोर्मौनेन न स पापेन लिप्यते

Transliteration

śatamaṣṭottaraṃ yāvatphalahastaḥ pradakṣiṇām | karoti viṣṇormaunena na sa pāpena lipyate

Translation

Solange jemand, eine Frucht in der Hand und schweigend, 108 Umrundungen (Pradakṣiṇā) um Viṣṇu vollzieht, wird er nicht vom Sündhaften befleckt.

Word by Word

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma/Parimana (Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (count)

• अष्टोत्तरम्: plus eight (108)
• अष्टोत्तरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (शतम्) = ‘अष्टाधिकम्’

• यावत्: as many as, up to
• यावत्: Parimana (Extent/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (up to/as many as)

• फलहस्तः: one holding fruits in hand
• फलहस्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (फलहस्तः) ‘फलयुक्त-हस्तः’

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

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

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• मौनेन: by silence
• मौनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करणम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Modifier (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पापेन: by sin
• पापेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; हेतु/सहकारक-भाव

• लिप्यते: is tainted
• लिप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇor-āyatana-pradakṣiṇā (shrine-based merit)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee, silent, holding a ripe fruit in the right hand, circumambulates a Viṣṇu temple clockwise; lamps flicker, conch and bell sounds faintly in the background; the deity’s doorway glows.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Pradakṣiṇā
• Mauna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional movement (pradakṣiṇā) performed with restraint (mauna) is exalted as a purifier that prevents the cling of sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse centers on circumambulating Viṣṇu (likely at a temple/tirtha context), but does not name a specific location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform 108 pradakṣiṇās of Viṣṇu while observing silence, holding fruit as an offering.