Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

त्रिःपरिकम्य तं देवमष्टांगं प्रणतौ हरिम् । दृष्टवन्तौ च पादांते संनिविष्टां समुद्रजाम्

Transliteration

triḥparikamya taṃ devamaṣṭāṃgaṃ praṇatau harim | dṛṣṭavantau ca pādāṃte saṃniviṣṭāṃ samudrajām

Translation

Nachdem sie jenen Gott dreimal umschritten hatten, warfen sie sich vor Hari in der achtgliedrigen Niederwerfung (aṣṭāṅga) nieder. Da erblickten sie zu seinen Füßen die Tochter des Ozeans, dort sitzend — Śrī/Lakṣmī.

Word by Word

• त्रिः: thrice
• त्रिः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘त्रिवारम्’

• परिकम्य: having circumambulated
• परिकम्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि√क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी; ‘परिक्रम्य’ = having circumambulated

• तम्: him/that (one)
• तम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karman (Object; apposition to ‘tam’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अष्टाङ्गम्: with eight limbs (prostration)
• अष्टाङ्गम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (संख्यापूर्वक/निर्धारण): ‘अष्टान्यङ्गानि यस्य/यत्र’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to ‘praṇatau’)

• प्रणतौ: in prostration
• प्रणतौ: Adhikaraṇa (Locative circumstance)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; ‘प्रणतौ’ = in/with prostration

• हरिम्: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिम्: Karman (Object; apposition to ‘tam devam’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दृष्टवन्तौ: the two (of them) saw
• दृष्टवन्तौ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) + वत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त (क्तवत्/क्तवतु), भूतकालिक-विशेषण (past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः—‘they (two) saw’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coordination particle)

• पादान्ते: at the feet/end of the feet
• पादान्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध): पादस्य अन्तः; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• संनिविष्टाम्: seated
• संनिविष्टाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+नि√विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘seated/placed’ (qualifies ‘samudrajām’)

• समुद्रजाम्: the sea-born lady (Lakshmi)
• समुद्रजाम्: Karman (Object of ‘dṛṣṭavantau’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र + जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: समुद्रात् जाता; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two visitors complete three circumambulations and fall in aṣṭāṅga prostration before Hari; at the Lord’s feet sits Lakṣmī, ocean-born, serene and radiant, anchoring the composition at the pādānta.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Samudrajā (Lakṣmī)
• Garuḍa (implied)
• Nārada (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proper worship is embodied: circumambulation, full prostration, and reverent seeing—leading to recognition of the Lord with Śrī (prosperity and grace).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha where Hari is worshipped as jalaśāyī Janārdana, with Śrī seated at His feet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform three circumambulations (triḥ-parikramā) and aṣṭāṅga-praṇāma (eight-limbed prostration) to Hari.