Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अष्टोत्तरशतं चैव यः करोति प्रदक्षिणाम् । फलहस्तः स मुच्येत ह्याजन्ममरणादघात्

Transliteration

aṣṭottaraśataṃ caiva yaḥ karoti pradakṣiṇām | phalahastaḥ sa mucyeta hyājanmamaraṇādaghāt

Translation

கையில் பழ நிவேத்யம் ஏந்தி நூற்று எட்டு பிரதட்சிணை செய்பவன், பிறப்பு–இறப்பு சுழலில் ஒட்டிய பாவத்திலிருந்து விடுபடுவான்।

Word by Word

• अष्टोत्तरशतम्: one hundred and eight
• अष्टोत्तरशतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अष्टोत्तरं शतम् = 108) Accusative singular (संख्या)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Relative pronoun, Nominative singular

• करोति: does/performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• प्रदक्षिणाम्: circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• फलहस्तः: having fruit in hand
• फलहस्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (फलः हस्ते यस्य सः) Nominative singular qualifying सः

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Demonstrative pronoun, Nominative singular

• मुच्येत: would be released
• मुच्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (passive sense: is freed)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• आ: up to
• आ: Sambandha (Limit/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अव्यय (पर्यन्त-भावे: 'up to')

• जन्ममरणात्: from birth and death (cycle)
• जन्ममरणात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (जन्म च मरणं च) Ablative singular

• अघात्: from sin
• अघात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Tīrthamāhātmya; likely Sūta relating the Māhātmya to Ṛṣis)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee circles a temple 108 times, holding fruits in both hands, with other pilgrims and a visible count-marking mala; the deity’s shrine stands at the center as the axis of devotion.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional discipline—especially prescribed circumambulation with offerings—purifies deep-rooted sin and supports liberation from saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to a Tīrthamāhātmya passage in Nāgara Khaṇḍa, praising the merit of worship at the local deity/tīrtha described in Adhyāya 155 (site name not explicit in this single verse).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform 108 clockwise pradakṣiṇās while holding fruit as an offering (phalahasta).