Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । कस्मात्त्वं पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ प्रदक्षिणापरः सदा । देवस्यास्य विशेषेण सत्यं नो वक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kasmāttvaṃ pārthivaśreṣṭha pradakṣiṇāparaḥ sadā | devasyāsya viśeṣeṇa satyaṃ no vaktumarhasi

Translation

ऋषियों ने कहा—हे राजश्रेष्ठ! तुम सदा प्रदक्षिणा में ही क्यों लगे रहते हो? विशेषकर इस देवता के विषय में सत्य कारण हमें बताओ।

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• कस्मात्: why, from what (cause)
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (from what cause/why)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन, पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पार्थिवानां श्रेष्ठः)

• प्रदक्षिणापरः: devoted to circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणापरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pradakṣiṇā + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (प्रदक्षिणायां परः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always)

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषणम्

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (especially)

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (truly)

• नः: to us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative) बहुवचन-रूपम्; अत्र चतुर्थ्यर्थे (to us)

• वक्तुम्: to tell
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), शक्यतार्थ (to tell)

• अर्हसि: you ought, you are fit
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (specific deity unnamed in verse)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Veṇu (king; addressed as pārthiva-śreṣṭha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages address a king with respectful urgency, pointing toward the liṅga-shrine; the king stands poised, hands folded, known for constant circumambulation; the deity’s presence is felt as a focal aura.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣayaḥ
• Pārthiva (king)
• Deva (the deity—Śiva implied by liṅga context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion invites inquiry and explanation; consistent pradakṣiṇā is treated as a meaningful act of bhakti worthy of being understood and emulated.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa setting, the focus is the shrine/temple precinct where the deity (Śiva, indicated by later liṅga references) is worshiped.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā—ritual circumambulation of the deity/temple—is highlighted as the king’s constant practice.