Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

शतमष्टोत्तरं यावत्फलहस्तः प्रदक्षिणाम् । करोति विष्णोर्मौनेन न स पापेन लिप्यते

Transliteration

śatamaṣṭottaraṃ yāvatphalahastaḥ pradakṣiṇām | karoti viṣṇormaunena na sa pāpena lipyate

Translation

ಕೈಯಲ್ಲಿ ಫಲ ಹಿಡಿದು ಮೌನ ವಹಿಸಿ ಶ್ರೀ ವಿಷ್ಣುವಿಗೆ ೧೦೮ ಪ್ರದಕ್ಷಿಣೆ ಮಾಡುವವನು ಪಾಪದಿಂದ ಲಿಪ್ತನಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ।

Word by Word

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma/Parimana (Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (count)

• अष्टोत्तरम्: plus eight (108)
• अष्टोत्तरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (शतम्) = ‘अष्टाधिकम्’

• यावत्: as many as, up to
• यावत्: Parimana (Extent/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (up to/as many as)

• फलहस्तः: one holding fruits in hand
• फलहस्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (फलहस्तः) ‘फलयुक्त-हस्तः’

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

• करोति: does, performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• मौनेन: by silence
• मौनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करणम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Modifier (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पापेन: by sin
• पापेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; हेतु/सहकारक-भाव

• लिप्यते: is tainted
• लिप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇor-āyatana-pradakṣiṇā (shrine-based merit)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee, silent, holding a ripe fruit in the right hand, circumambulates a Viṣṇu temple clockwise; lamps flicker, conch and bell sounds faintly in the background; the deity’s doorway glows.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Pradakṣiṇā
• Mauna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional movement (pradakṣiṇā) performed with restraint (mauna) is exalted as a purifier that prevents the cling of sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse centers on circumambulating Viṣṇu (likely at a temple/tirtha context), but does not name a specific location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform 108 pradakṣiṇās of Viṣṇu while observing silence, holding fruit as an offering.