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
ಋಷಿಗಳು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ಓ ರಾಜಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠನೇ! ನೀನು ಸದಾ ಪ್ರದಕ್ಷಿಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಏಕೆ ತತ್ಪರನಾಗಿರುವೆ? ವಿಶೇಷವಾಗಿ ಈ ದೇವರ ವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಸತ್ಯ ಕಾರಣವನ್ನು ನಮಗೆ ಹೇಳು।
Word by Word
ऋषयःsages
ऋषयः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
ऊचुःsaid
ऊचुः:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√vac (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद
कस्मात्why, from what (cause)
कस्मात्:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (from what cause/why)
त्वम्you
त्वम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formउत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन
पार्थिवश्रेष्ठO best of kings
पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootpārthiva + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसम्बोधन, पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पार्थिवानां श्रेष्ठः)
प्रदक्षिणापरःdevoted to circumambulation
प्रदक्षिणापरः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootpradakṣiṇā + para (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (प्रदक्षिणायां परः)
सदाalways
सदा:
Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसदा (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always)
देवस्यof the god
देवस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootdeva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन
अस्यof this
अस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootidam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषणम्
विशेषेणespecially
विशेषेण:
Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootviśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (especially)
सत्यम्truth
सत्यम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootsatya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (truly)
नःto us
नः:
Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative) बहुवचन-रूपम्; अत्र चतुर्थ्यर्थे (to us)
वक्तुम्to tell
वक्तुम्:
Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
TypeVerb
Root√vac (धातु)
Formतुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), शक्यतार्थ (to tell)
अर्हसिyou ought, you are fit
अर्हसि:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√arh (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद
Speaker
Ṛṣayaḥ (Sages)
Characters & Entities
Ṛ
ṚṣayaḥP
Pārthiva (king)D
Deva (the deity—Śiva implied by liṅga context)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.