Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

पृथ्वी प्रदक्षिणा तेन कृता यत्तस्य तत्फलम् । शोभनं मिथुनं यस्तु रुद्रमुद्दिश्य पूजयेत्

Transliteration

pṛthvī pradakṣiṇā tena kṛtā yattasya tatphalam | śobhanaṃ mithunaṃ yastu rudramuddiśya pūjayet

Translation

അവന് ലഭിക്കുന്ന ഫലം, അവൻ സമസ്ത ഭൂമിയെയും പ്രദക്ഷിണം ചെയ്തതുപോലെ തന്നെയാകുന്നു. കൂടാതെ രുദ്രനെ ഉദ്ദേശിച്ച് ശോഭന മിഥുനം (യുഗളാർപ്പണം) പൂജിക്കുന്നവൻ…

Word by Word

• पृथ्वी: the earth
• पृथ्वी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• प्रदक्षिणा: circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; (apposition to पृथ्वी)

• तेन: by him; by that person
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• कृता: done; performed
• कृता: Kriya (Participial predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त/PPP); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; (agrees with प्रदक्षिणा)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; सम्बन्धक ('which')

• तस्य: of him; his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• तत्-फलम्: that is the fruit/result
• तत्-फलम्: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• शोभनम्: beautiful; auspicious
• शोभनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies मिथुनम्)

• मिथुनम्: a pair; couple
• मिथुनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिथुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक/विरोधार्थक निपात

• रुद्रम्: Rudra (Śiva)
• रुद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• उद्दिश्य: intending; addressing; for (Rudra)
• उद्दिश्य: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+दिश् (धातु) → उद्दिश्य (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive); 'having intended/with reference to'

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing a king (nṛpa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śukla Tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee completes pradakṣiṇā at the riverbank shrine; the earth is shown as a cosmic orb behind him to signify ‘pṛthvī-pradakṣiṇā-tulya’ merit. Nearby, a paired offering (two lamps/garlands or a consecrated couple icon) is presented to Rudra.

Characters & Entities

• Śuklatīrtha
• Rudra
• pṛthvī-pradakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A localized sacred act at a powerful tīrtha can equal vast pilgrimages, showing the concentration of spiritual potency in holy geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śukla Tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā at Śukla Tīrtha, and a Rudra-dedicated worship involving a “mithuna” (paired/couple offering or worship of a pair).