Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

समुत्थाय ततश्चक्रुः पुरस्तस्याः प्रदक्षिणाम् । यथोक्तविधिना सर्वे श्रद्धया परया युताः

Transliteration

samutthāya tataścakruḥ purastasyāḥ pradakṣiṇām | yathoktavidhinā sarve śraddhayā parayā yutāḥ

Translation

Alors ils se levèrent, et tous accomplirent devant Elle la pradakṣiṇā selon le rite énoncé, chacun animé de la foi la plus haute.

Word by Word

• समुत्थाय: having risen
• समुत्थाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उत् + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) = 'having risen'

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) = 'then/thereupon'

• चक्रुः: they performed/did
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पुरः: in front
• पुरः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-निपात/अव्यय (in front/before)

• तस्याः: of her/that (goddess/place)
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

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

• यथोक्तविधिना: according to the prescribed procedure
• यथोक्तविधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः: यथा-उक्तः विधिः (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः), तेन (according to the prescribed rule)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• परया: supreme, great
• परया: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (श्रद्धया सह)

• युताः: endowed (with)
• युताः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP) 'युक्त'; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'समन्विताः'

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple/kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages rise together and circumambulate a goddess/shrine at the tīrtha; their movement forms a clockwise ring; hands in añjali; the deity’s presence is suggested by a sanctum doorway, lamp-flames, and a radiant aura.

Characters & Entities

• Tasyāḥ (her) — unspecified sacred feminine presence (deity/place)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual gains its full power when performed as taught (vidhi) and supported by deep śraddhā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers to circumambulation “before her,” but does not name the deity or site in this line alone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā performed yathokta-vidhi (according to the prescribed method) with parā-śraddhā (supreme faith).