Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

न ननाम महादेवं न च चक्रे प्रदक्षिणम् । अतएव हि सा देवी न गता पुनरागता

Transliteration

na nanāma mahādevaṃ na ca cakre pradakṣiṇam | ataeva hi sā devī na gatā punarāgatā

Translation

นางมิได้ถวายบังคมแด่มหาทเทพ และมิได้เวียนประทักษิณา ด้วยเหตุนี้เอง แม้นางเทวีจะจากไปแล้ว ก็หาได้กลับมาอีกไม่

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात)

• nanāma: bowed
• nanāma: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nam (नम् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थः ‘bowed’

• mahādevam: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• mahādevam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahādeva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः (कर्मधारय) ‘महान् देवः’

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय = ‘and’)

• cakre: performed
• cakre: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; अर्थः ‘did/performed’

• pradakṣiṇam: circumambulation
• pradakṣiṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘circumambulation’

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Sambandha (Causal/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (हेतु/अतः = ‘therefore/from that’)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण = ‘indeed/just’)

• hi: for; indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (हेतुगर्भ/निपात = ‘for/indeed’)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• devī: the goddess
• devī: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात)

• gatā: went
• gatā: Kriya (State/क्रिया-परिणाम)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gata (गम् धातु, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः ‘gone’

• punar-āgatā: returned again
• punar-āgatā: Kriya (State/क्रिया-परिणाम)
• Type: Verb
• Root: punar (अव्यय) + āgata (गम् धातु, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त) सह अव्यय; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः ‘returned again’

Speaker

Narrator (deduced: Skanda to Agastya in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara (Kāśī) (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within the frame narration (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark contrast: Mahādeva’s shrine stands serene while Devī departs without bowing or circumambulating; the empty space around the liṅga emphasizes the missed act.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Core devotional acts—namaskāra and pradakṣiṇā—are not optional; neglecting them leads to loss of auspicious protection and right outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Shaiva sacred order is implied: Mahādeva’s presence anchors the dharma of the place, and worship there safeguards the pilgrim.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (bowing) to Mahādeva and pradakṣiṇā (circumambulation) are explicitly referenced.