Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

पंचदश्या भ्रमः कार्यः सर्वदिक्षु द्विजैः सह । सप्तसागरजै स्तोयैर्दत्तैर्यत्फलमाप्यते

Transliteration

paṃcadaśyā bhramaḥ kāryaḥ sarvadikṣu dvijaiḥ saha | saptasāgarajai stoyairdattairyatphalamāpyate

Translation

Am fünfzehnten Tithi (pañcadaśī) soll man zusammen mit den Brāhmaṇas in alle Richtungen die Pradakṣiṇā vollziehen. Durch die Darbringung von Wasser, das aus den sieben Ozeanen gebracht wurde, erlangt man eine Frucht des Verdienstes in eben diesem Maß.

Word by Word

• पञ्चदश्याम्: on the fifteenth (lunar day)
• पञ्चदश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular

• भ्रमः: a circumambulation/round
• भ्रमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• कार्यः: should be done
• कार्यः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य/gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘to be done/should be done’

• सर्वदिक्षु: in all directions
• सर्वदिक्षु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन — Locative plural

• द्विजैः: with Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (सहकार), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सहार्थक-उपपद — indeclinable ‘with’

• सप्तसागरजैः: born from the seven oceans
• सप्तसागरजैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त + सागर + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; विशेषणम् स्तोयैः प्रति

• स्तोयैः: with waters
• स्तोयैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• दत्तैः: given (offered)
• दत्तैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकृदन्त/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — past participle used adjectivally: ‘given’

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — relative pronoun (linking clause)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• आप्यते: is obtained
• आप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — is obtained

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija (brāhmaṇa interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims and brāhmaṇas circumambulate a sacred precinct on pañcadaśī; a devotee offers water in a vessel, envisioned as containing the essence of the seven oceans; directional movement is emphasized (all quarters).

Characters & Entities

• pañcadaśī
• dvija (brāhmaṇa)
• sapta-sāgara (seven oceans)
• tīrtha-bhramaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage becomes complete through communal dharma—honoring brāhmaṇas and performing disciplined circumambulation and offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises tīrtha-circumambulation practice within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the particular tīrtha name is not stated in this snippet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

On pañcadaśī, do bhramaṇa (parikramā) in all directions with brāhmaṇas, and perform water-giving likened to offering waters of the seven oceans.