Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

प्रदक्षिणन्ति ये मर्त्या जलशायिजगद्गुरुम् । प्रदक्षिणीकृता तैस्तु सप्तद्वीपा वसुंधरा

Transliteration

pradakṣiṇanti ye martyā jalaśāyijagadgurum | pradakṣiṇīkṛtā taistu saptadvīpā vasuṃdharā

Translation

ജലശായിയായ ജഗദ്ഗുരുവിനെ ആരെല്ലാം പ്രദക്ഷിണം ചെയ്യുന്നു, അവരാൽ സപ്തദ്വീപങ്ങളോടുകൂടിയ ഭൂമിയൊട്ടാകെ പ്രദക്ഷിണം ചെയ്തതുപോലെ ആകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• प्रदक्षिणन्ति: circumambulate
• प्रदक्षिणन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र- (उपसर्ग) + दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (pl.); नामधातु/धात्वर्थ-क्रिया (to circumambulate)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom./1st), बहुवचन (pl.)

• मर्त्याः: mortals
• मर्त्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom./1st), बहुवचन (pl.)

• जलशायिजगद्गुरुम्: the world-teacher who lies on the waters (Viṣṇu)
• जलशायिजगद्गुरुम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + शायिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन (sg.); (जल-शायिन्) कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष + (जगत्-गुरु) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; समस्तपदम्

• प्रदक्षिणीकृताः: has been circumambulated
• प्रदक्षिणीकृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रदक्षिणी (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom./1st), बहुवचन (pl.)

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया (Instr./3rd), बहुवचन (pl.)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (particle: indeed/but)

• सप्तद्वीपा: with seven continents
• सप्तद्वीपा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom./1st), एकवचन (sg.); द्विगु-समासः (having seven islands/continents)

• वसुंधरा: the earth
• वसुंधरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुंधरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom./1st), एकवचन (sg.)

Speaker

Unspecified (Revākhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Janārdana shrine in Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims circumambulate the reclining-on-waters Lord (jalāśayī) within a temple corridor; the cosmic oceans and seven continents are symbolically suggested in murals or aura around the deity.

Characters & Entities

• Jalaśāyī (Viṣṇu)
• Jagadguru (Lord as World-Teacher)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A single focused act of devotion (pradakṣiṇā) can carry vast spiritual merit when directed to the Supreme.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits in Revākhaṇḍa’s tīrtha setting; the immediate focus is the worship of Jalaśāyī (Viṣṇu) as present/accessible at the sacred locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā—circumambulation of the Deity (Jalaśāyī Jagadguru).