Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

प्रदक्षिणप्रक्रमणाद्देवदेवस्य शूलिनः । तस्याग्रे मरणाच्चैव जातासीह नृपांगना

Transliteration

pradakṣiṇaprakramaṇāddevadevasya śūlinaḥ | tasyāgre maraṇāccaiva jātāsīha nṛpāṃganā

Translation

Pour avoir accompli la pradakṣiṇa, la circumambulation vers la droite, autour de Śūlin, le Dieu des dieux, et pour être morte en sa présence même, tu es vraiment renaît princesse, ô dame royale.

Word by Word

• प्रदक्षिणप्रक्रमणात्: from the act of circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणप्रक्रमणात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिण + प्रक्रमण (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—प्रदक्षिणस्य प्रक्रमणम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• देवदेवस्य: of the God of gods
• देवदेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—देवानां देवः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• शूलिनः: of the trident-bearer (Śiva)
• शूलिनः: Sambandha (Genitive apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणवत् नाम (त्रिशूलधारिणः)

• तस्य: of him/that (Śiva)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अग्रे: in front (of)
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मरणात्: from death; due to death
• मरणात्: Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphasis)

• जाता: was born; became
• जाता: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जात (प्रातिपदिक; √जन्-धातुज)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘जाता’ = उत्पन्ना/अभवत्

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present); मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• नृपांगना: the king’s lady/queen
• नृपांगना: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + अङ्गना (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—नृपस्य अङ्गना (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; explaining the cause of auspicious rebirth)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīgiri-Śūlin-sannidhi

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpāṅganā (royal lady/queen)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage/knower explains to a royal lady that her prior pradakṣiṇā of Śiva and death before him caused her rebirth as a princess; Śiva’s shrine and dhvaja-stambha appear as symbolic backdrop, with a luminous aura suggesting divine sanction.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śūlin
• Devadeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through pradakṣiṇā and surrender at a holy Śiva-presence is portrayed as spiritually transformative, shaping rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Śiva-shrine context (Śrīgiri/Śivālaya) is the implied sacred locale where death in the deity’s presence bears fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā of Śiva (Śūlin) is explicitly praised as a meritorious act.