Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

शुक्लाष्टम्यां सदा भक्त्या स तस्याः श्रद्धयान्वितः । अष्टोत्तरशतं यावत्प्रचकार प्रदक्षिणाम्

Transliteration

śuklāṣṭamyāṃ sadā bhaktyā sa tasyāḥ śraddhayānvitaḥ | aṣṭottaraśataṃ yāvatpracakāra pradakṣiṇām

Translation

ശുക്ലപക്ഷ അഷ്ടമിയിൽ അവൻ നിത്യം ഭക്തിയും ശ്രദ്ധയുംകൊണ്ട് വന്ന്, ആ ദേവിയെ നൂറ്റെട്ടു പ്രാവശ്യം വരെ പ്രദക്ഷിണം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• शुक्लाष्टम्याम्: on the bright eighth (tithi)
• शुक्लाष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (Adverb) नित्यत्ववाचकम्

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• अन्वितः: endowed (with)
• अन्वितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वि (धातु; √इ with उपसर्ग अनु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• अष्टोत्तरशतम्: one hundred and eight
• अष्टोत्तरशतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular); संख्यासमासः (dvigu)

• यावत्: up to/as many as
• यावत्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (Adverb) परिमाण/अवधिवाचकम् (extent/limit)

• प्रचकार: performed/did
• प्रचकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (Singular); परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः प्र-

• प्रदक्षिणाम्: circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular)

Speaker

Deductive (Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Purāṇic framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king circles the Devī temple repeatedly—processional movement around the sanctum—counting 108 rounds on a bright aṣṭamī, with lamps, flowers, and focused devotion.

Characters & Entities

• The Goddess (Devī)
• Śuklāṣṭamī
• Pradakṣiṇā (circumambulation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular devotion (bhakti) joined with faith (śraddhā) sanctifies ritual action and turns it into lasting spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Devī-shrine connected to the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s tīrtha narrative; the emphasis here is on the site’s power revealed through repeated pradakṣiṇā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pradakṣiṇā on Śuklāṣṭamī, traditionally in a count of 108 rounds, with devotion and faith.