Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18
ऋषय ऊचुः । कस्मात्त्वं पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ प्रदक्षिणापरः सदा । देवस्यास्य विशेषेण सत्यं नो वक्तुमर्हसि
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kasmāttvaṃ pārthivaśreṣṭha pradakṣiṇāparaḥ sadā | devasyāsya viśeṣeṇa satyaṃ no vaktumarhasi
ព្រះឥសីទាំងឡាយបានមានព្រះវាចា៖ «ឱ ព្រះមហាក្សត្រល្អបំផុត ហេតុអ្វីបានជាព្រះអង្គតែងតែឧស្សាហ៍ឧទ្ទិសចិត្តដល់ប្រទក្សិណា? សូមប្រាប់យើងដោយសេចក្តីពិត—ជាពិសេសអំពីទេវតានេះ—ថាមូលហេតុជាអ្វី»។
Ṛṣayaḥ (Sages)
Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (specific deity unnamed in verse)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Veṇu (king; addressed as pārthiva-śreṣṭha)
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.
FAQs
True devotion invites inquiry and explanation; consistent pradakṣiṇā is treated as a meaningful act of bhakti worthy of being understood and emulated.
Within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa setting, the focus is the shrine/temple precinct where the deity (Śiva, indicated by later liṅga references) is worshiped.
Pradakṣiṇā—ritual circumambulation of the deity/temple—is highlighted as the king’s constant practice.