Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

जटाजूटाबद्धशिरा ज्वलनार्कसमप्रभः । त्रिधा प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य दण्डवत्पतितो भुवि

Transliteration

jaṭājūṭābaddhaśirā jvalanārkasamaprabhaḥ | tridhā pradakṣiṇīkṛtya daṇḍavatpatito bhuvi

Translation

ജടാജൂടം കെട്ടിയ ശിരസ്സോടെ, അഗ്നിയും സൂര്യനുംപോലെ ദീപ്തനായി, അദ്ദേഹം മൂന്നു പ്രാവശ്യം പ്രദക്ഷിണം ചെയ്ത് പിന്നെ ദണ്ഡവത് ആയി ഭൂമിയിൽ വീണു നമസ്കരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• जटाजूटाबद्धशिराः: with head bound by matted locks
• जटाजूटाबद्धशिराः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जटा (प्रातिपदिक) + जूट (प्रातिपदिक) + बद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (जटाजूटेन बद्धं शिरः यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘whose head is bound with a matted-hair bundle’

• ज्वलनार्कसमप्रभः: radiant like fire and sun
• ज्वलनार्कसमप्रभः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वलन (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ज्वलनार्कयोः समा प्रभा यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having radiance equal to fire and sun’

• त्रिधा: thrice/threefold
• त्रिधा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाण/प्रकारवाचक adverb): threefold, thrice

• प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य: having circumambulated
• प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + प्र- (उपसर्ग) + दक्षिणी (नामधातु/प्रातिपदिक-आधारित)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘having made pradakṣiṇā / having circumambulated’

• दण्डवत्: like a staff (fully prostrate)
• दण्डवत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्डवत् (अव्यय/उपमान)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमानवाचक adverb): like a staff, prostrate

• पतितः: fell/prostrated
• पतितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘fallen’

• भुवि: on the ground
• भुवि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: ‘earth/ground’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, before Nārada’s direct speech begins)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra Śaiva-sthāna (unspecified)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, hair bound in a jata-crown, blazing with sun-fire radiance, circles the deity three times and then lies fully prostrate on the ground.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence is expressed through embodied devotion—circumambulation and full prostration offered to the Lord with humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā/Revā sacred region), though this verse itself focuses on worship of Śiva rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā (circumambulating) three times and daṇḍavat-praṇāma (full prostration).