Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 136

Devanagari script

इति कृत्वा महादेवि पुनर्भानौ प्रदक्षिणम् । कुर्यान्मन्त्रेण देवेशि सप्तकृत्वो वरानने

Transliteration

iti kṛtvā mahādevi punarbhānau pradakṣiṇam | kuryānmantreṇa deveśi saptakṛtvo varānane

Translation

ഹേ മഹാദേവീ! ഇങ്ങനെ ചെയ്ത ശേഷം വീണ്ടും ഭാനു (സൂര്യൻ)നെ പ്രദക്ഷിണം ചെയ്യണം. ഹേ ദേവേശീ, ഹേ വരാനനേ! മന്ത്രത്തോടെ ഏഴു പ്രാവശ്യം ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyopasaṃhāra (quotative/closure)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उक्त्यर्थ/समाप्त्यर्थ) ‘thus’

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• महादेवि: O Mahādevī
• महादेवि: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā (प्रातिपदिक) + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘महादेवी’

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (repetition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरावृत्तिवाचक) ‘again’

• भानौ: at/around Bhānu (the Sun)
• भानौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; locative ‘around/at the Sun’

• प्रदक्षिणम्: circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग) + दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘circumambulation’ (as object of kuryāt)

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should do’

• मन्त्रेण: with a mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental

• देवेशि: O mistress of the gods
• देवेशि: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘देवानाम् ईशी’ = ‘mistress of gods’

• सप्तकृत्वः: seven times
• सप्तकृत्वः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (frequency)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + कृत्वस्/कृत्वः (अव्ययार्थ-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास, अव्यय (आवृत्तिवाचक) ‘seven times’

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘वरम् आननम् यस्याः’ (epithet)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Sūrya-upāsanā within the kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī/Devī (addressed as mahādevī, deveśi, varānanā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands facing the Sun at dawn near the sacred shore/temple precinct, then begins a clockwise circumambulation path marked by lotuses or lamps; Devī is invoked in the narration as the recipient of instruction.

Characters & Entities

• Bhānu (Sūrya)
• Pradakṣiṇā
• mantra (generic)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is strengthened through repeated, mantra-supported movement around the divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arkasthala in Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where Sun pradakṣiṇā is prescribed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Bhānu (Sun) pradakṣiṇā with mantra seven times.