Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ससमुद्रगुहा तेन सशैलवनकानना । प्रदक्षिणीकृता सर्वा पृथिवी नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

sasamudraguhā tena saśailavanakānanā | pradakṣiṇīkṛtā sarvā pṛthivī nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Par cet acte, la terre entière—avec ses océans et ses grottes, avec ses montagnes, ses forêts et ses bosquets—est comme accomplie en pradakṣiṇā ; il n’y a là aucun doute.

Word by Word

• ससमुद्रगुहा: together with seas and caves
• ससमुद्रगुहा: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गुहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहि (समुद्रगुहाभिः सह/समुद्रगुहायुक्ता)

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; संदर्भे—'तेन (मन्त्रेण/कर्मणा)'

• सशैलवनकानना: together with mountains, forests, and groves
• सशैलवनकानना: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + शैल (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक) + कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहि (शैलैः वनैः काननैः सह/युक्ता)

• प्रदक्षिणीकृता: circumambulated
• प्रदक्षिणीकृता: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रदक्षिणी (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (कृ+क्त) कर्मणि/भावे—'made into circumambulation/fully circumambulated'

• सर्वा: entire
• सर्वा: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• पृथिवी: the earth
• पृथिवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक निपात (particle of negation)

• अत्र: here; in this matter
• अत्र: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: here/in this matter)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Deva-pradakṣiṇā within Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee circles the deity while the world appears as a mandala around them: oceans, caves, mountains, forests, and groves arranged in concentric rings, implying the whole earth is being circumambulated.

Characters & Entities

• Pṛthivī
• Pradakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A focused sacred act at a holy site can equal vast pilgrimages—inner devotion magnifies outer distance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā tīrtha context where pradakṣiṇā and mantra practice are being praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā (circumambulation) performed in the prescribed devotional-mantric manner.