Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तांबूलं च सकर्पूरं कृत्वा नीराजनादिकम् । प्रदक्षिणां नमस्कारं स्तुतिपूर्वं पुनःपुनः

Transliteration

tāṃbūlaṃ ca sakarpūraṃ kṛtvā nīrājanādikam | pradakṣiṇāṃ namaskāraṃ stutipūrvaṃ punaḥpunaḥ

Translation

He offered tāmbūla (betel) with camphor, performed nīrājana (ārati) and the like, and again and again circumambulated and bowed—each act accompanied by hymns of praise.

Word by Word

• ताम्बूलम्: betel offering
• ताम्बूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्बूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• सकर्पूरम्: with camphor
• सकर्पूरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + कर्पूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः/अव्ययीभावसदृशः ‘कर्पूरेण सहितम्’; विशेषणम् (ताम्बूलम् इत्यस्य)

• कृत्वा: having done/made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• नीराजनादिकम्: ārati and the like
• नीराजनादिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीराजन + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नीराजनं च आदयः यस्य तत्)

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

• नमस्कारम्: salutation
• नमस्कारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्तुतिपूर्वम्: preceded by praise
• स्तुतिपूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्तुति + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (क्रियाविशेषण)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्तिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• पुनः: again and again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्तिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb); पुनःपुनः = आवृत्तिः (repeatedly)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Dvārakā-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands before Kṛṣṇa’s shrine in Dvārakā, offering tāmbūla with camphor, lamps circling in ārati; he then performs repeated pradakṣiṇā and full prostrations while chanting hymns.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through repeated, humble acts—praise, circumambulation, and prostration—centering the heart on the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dvārakā worship-context of the chapter, where such temple-style rites form part of tīrtha observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering tāmbūla with camphor, performing nīrājana (ārati), and doing pradakṣiṇā and namaskāra repeatedly with stuti.