Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

प्रदक्षिणप्रक्रमणाद्देवदेवस्य शूलिनः । तस्याग्रे मरणाच्चैव जातासीह नृपांगना

Transliteration

pradakṣiṇaprakramaṇāddevadevasya śūlinaḥ | tasyāgre maraṇāccaiva jātāsīha nṛpāṃganā

Translation

ദേവദേവനായ ശൂലധാരി ശിവനെ ദക്ഷിണാവർത്തമായി പ്രദക്ഷിണം ചെയ്തതുകൊണ്ടും, അവന്റെ സന്നിധിയിൽ തന്നേ മരിച്ചതുകൊണ്ടും, ഹേ രാജസ്ത്രീ, നീ രാജകുമാരിയായി ജനിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• प्रदक्षिणप्रक्रमणात्: from the act of circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणप्रक्रमणात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिण + प्रक्रमण (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—प्रदक्षिणस्य प्रक्रमणम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• देवदेवस्य: of the God of gods
• देवदेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—देवानां देवः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• शूलिनः: of the trident-bearer (Śiva)
• शूलिनः: Sambandha (Genitive apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणवत् नाम (त्रिशूलधारिणः)

• तस्य: of him/that (Śiva)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अग्रे: in front (of)
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मरणात्: from death; due to death
• मरणात्: Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphasis)

• जाता: was born; became
• जाता: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जात (प्रातिपदिक; √जन्-धातुज)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘जाता’ = उत्पन्ना/अभवत्

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present); मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• नृपांगना: the king’s lady/queen
• नृपांगना: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + अङ्गना (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—नृपस्य अङ्गना (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; explaining the cause of auspicious rebirth)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīgiri-Śūlin-sannidhi

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpāṅganā (royal lady/queen)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage/knower explains to a royal lady that her prior pradakṣiṇā of Śiva and death before him caused her rebirth as a princess; Śiva’s shrine and dhvaja-stambha appear as symbolic backdrop, with a luminous aura suggesting divine sanction.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śūlin
• Devadeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through pradakṣiṇā and surrender at a holy Śiva-presence is portrayed as spiritually transformative, shaping rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Śiva-shrine context (Śrīgiri/Śivālaya) is the implied sacred locale where death in the deity’s presence bears fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā of Śiva (Śūlin) is explicitly praised as a meritorious act.