Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

कृपयाऽस्य प्रभावाच्च जातो जातिस्मरस्त्वहम् । अधुना परया भक्त्या यत्करोमि प्रदक्षिणाम्

Transliteration

kṛpayā'sya prabhāvācca jāto jātismarastvaham | adhunā parayā bhaktyā yatkaromi pradakṣiṇām

Translation

„Durch sein Erbarmen und durch seine Macht wurde ich zum Jātismara, der sich an frühere Geburten erinnert. Darum vollziehe ich auch jetzt, in höchster Bhakti, die Pradakṣiṇā.“

Word by Word

• कृपया: by (his) compassion
• कृपया: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अस्य: of this (deity), his
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• प्रभावात्: from (his) power/influence
• प्रभावात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• जातः: was born/became
• जातः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘born/become’

• जातिस्मरः: one who remembers past births
• जातिस्मरः: Karta (Predicate noun/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति + स्मर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समास: जातिं स्मरति इति (one who remembers former births)

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोध (particle: emphasis/contrast)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

• परया: supreme, intense
• परया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘भक्त्या’)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (correlative)

• करोमि: I do, I perform
• करोमि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• प्रदक्षिणाम्: circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Veṇu (the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra prāsāda-devatā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages present in the narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee (formerly a parrot) now in human-like form or as a speaking being, hands folded, eyes moist, describing the miracle of birth-memory while continuing pradakṣiṇā around the sanctum.

Characters & Entities

• Veṇu
• Jātismaratā
• Deva (Śiva implied)
• Bhakti
• Pradakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace can awaken spiritual memory and intensify devotion; sustained pradakṣiṇā becomes a natural expression of grateful bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda Khaṇḍa shrine setting is praised indirectly as a locus of divine compassion that transforms the devotee’s consciousness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā performed with parā-bhakti (supreme devotion) is presented as the devotee’s primary practice.