Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

एवं प्रदक्षिणा तस्य जाता पशुदिदृक्षया । स्थानस्य चैव निर्वेशे पशोश्चापिद्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

evaṃ pradakṣiṇā tasya jātā paśudidṛkṣayā | sthānasya caiva nirveśe paśoścāpidvijottamāḥ

Translation

Thus, in his desire to see (recover) the animal, he ended up making a circumambulation, surveying the whole extent of the place and also the whereabouts of the beast, O best of the twice-born.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: "thus")

• प्रदक्षिणा: circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• जाता: was done/occurred
• जाता: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु) + त (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि/परिणामवाचक ("became/was done")

• पशु-दिदृक्षया: from the desire to see the animal
• पशु-दिदृक्षया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक) + दिदृक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन; हेतौ/निमित्ते (instrumental of cause: "out of desire")

• स्थानस्य: of the place
• स्थानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (particle of emphasis)

• निर्वेशे: in the entry/approach
• निर्वेशे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• पशोः: of the animal
• पशोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Samuccaya (Additive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (also/even)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/Vocative sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थेऽपि प्रयुज्यते (can function as vocative sense though nominative form)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced; narrative voice addressing dvijottamāḥ)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cowherd (or shepherd) anxiously searching for a lost animal, unknowingly tracing a full circle around a sacred precinct marked by shrines, trees, and boundary stones; dawn light hints at hidden divinity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even ordinary duties can become sacred acts; moving around a holy area (pradakṣiṇā) is portrayed as spiritually meaningful within tīrtha contexts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to a sanctified ‘sthāna’ (place) in the narrative orbit (connected to Cāmatkārapura in the preceding verse), though the tīrtha name is not repeated here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā (circumambulation) is implicitly highlighted as an auspicious practice, though arising here through narrative circumstance.