Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । कस्मात्त्वं पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ प्रदक्षिणापरः सदा । देवस्यास्य विशेषेण सत्यं नो वक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kasmāttvaṃ pārthivaśreṣṭha pradakṣiṇāparaḥ sadā | devasyāsya viśeṣeṇa satyaṃ no vaktumarhasi

Translation

Мудрецы сказали: «О лучший из царей, почему ты всегда предан прадакшине (обходу вокруг святыни)? Скажи нам правду — особенно о этом божестве — в чём причина?»

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• कस्मात्: why, from what (cause)
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (from what cause/why)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन, पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पार्थिवानां श्रेष्ठः)

• प्रदक्षिणापरः: devoted to circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणापरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pradakṣiṇā + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (प्रदक्षिणायां परः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always)

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषणम्

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (especially)

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (truly)

• नः: to us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative) बहुवचन-रूपम्; अत्र चतुर्थ्यर्थे (to us)

• वक्तुम्: to tell
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), शक्यतार्थ (to tell)

• अर्हसि: you ought, you are fit
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (specific deity unnamed in verse)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Veṇu (king; addressed as pārthiva-śreṣṭha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages address a king with respectful urgency, pointing toward the liṅga-shrine; the king stands poised, hands folded, known for constant circumambulation; the deity’s presence is felt as a focal aura.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣayaḥ
• Pārthiva (king)
• Deva (the deity—Śiva implied by liṅga context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion invites inquiry and explanation; consistent pradakṣiṇā is treated as a meaningful act of bhakti worthy of being understood and emulated.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa setting, the focus is the shrine/temple precinct where the deity (Śiva, indicated by later liṅga references) is worshiped.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā—ritual circumambulation of the deity/temple—is highlighted as the king’s constant practice.