Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

तत्र पूर्वं शुको नीडं वृक्षे चैवाकरोद्द्विजः । गतागतेन नीडस्य कुरुते तं प्रदक्षिणाम्

Transliteration

tatra pūrvaṃ śuko nīḍaṃ vṛkṣe caivākaroddvijaḥ | gatāgatena nīḍasya kurute taṃ pradakṣiṇām

Translation

ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಪೂರ್ವಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ಶುಕ (ಗಿಳಿ) ಮರದ ಮೇಲೆ ತನ್ನ ಗೂಡನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟಿತು. ಗೂಡಿಗೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಬರುವುದರಿಂದ ಅದು ಆ ಗೂಡಿನ ಪ್ರದಕ್ಷಿಣೆಯನ್ನು ಪುನಃ ಪುನಃ ಮಾಡಿತು.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• शुकः: a parrot
• शुकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नीडम्: a nest
• नीडम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वृक्षे: on/in a tree
• वृक्षे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• अकरोत्: made, built
• अकरोत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• द्विजः: the bird
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; यहाँ पक्षिवाचक (bird)

• गत-आगतेन: by going and coming (back and forth)
• गत-आगतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गत (गम्-धातु, क्त कृदन्त) + आगत (आ+गम्-धातु, क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (गतम् च आगतम् च)

• नीडस्य: of the nest
• नीडस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• कुरुते: does, performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Acaleśvara (foreshadowed)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king) addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A green parrot repeatedly flying to and from a nest on a tree, its flight-path forming a natural circumambulation; the tree stands near a hinted sacred landscape, foreshadowing a Śiva shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Śuka (parrot)
• Pradakṣiṇā
• Acaleśvara region (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple, natural acts resembling pradakṣiṇā are portrayed as spiritually meaningful in a sanctified setting, highlighting the power of sacred space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda-khaṇḍa locale associated with Acaleśvara, where pradakṣiṇā is especially efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā (circumambulation) is implicitly upheld through an illustrative example (dṛṣṭānta).