Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा हर्षसमायुक्ता मर्त्त्येभ्यो ददते वरम् । अत्र देवास्त्रयस्त्रिंशत्पुरा कृत्वा प्रदक्षिणाम्

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā harṣasamāyuktā marttyebhyo dadate varam | atra devāstrayastriṃśatpurā kṛtvā pradakṣiṇām

Translation

ครั้นเห็นภักตินั้น พวกเขาก็เปี่ยมด้วยปีติ และประทานพรแก่ปุถุชน ณ ที่นี้ ในกาลก่อน เหล่าเทพสามสิบสามองค์ได้ทำประทักษิณาด้วยตนเอง

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• हर्षसमायुक्ताः: filled with joy
• हर्षसमायुक्ताः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + समायुक्त (कृदन्त, सम्+आ√युज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण

• मर्त्येभ्यः: to mortals
• मर्त्येभ्यः: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative), बहुवचन

• ददते: they give
• ददते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• त्रयस्त्रिंशत्: thirty-three
• त्रयस्त्रिंशत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रयस् (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘thirty-three’ (देवाः इति विशेष्य)

• पुरा: formerly / earlier
• पुरा: Kala (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: formerly/first)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• प्रदक्षिणाम्: circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), contextually within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aruṇācala-kṣetra (pradakṣiṇā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas, radiant and joyful, look down upon mortal pilgrims; some devas extend hands in blessing, showering flowers; in a flashback-like vignette, the 33 gods are shown performing pradakṣiṇā around Arunācala.

Characters & Entities

• Trayastrinśa Devas (Thirty-three gods)
• Aruṇācala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion at a holy site invites divine favor; even the gods model the practice by performing pradakṣiṇā themselves.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aruṇācala and its pradakṣiṇā circuit, validated by the practice of the thirty-three gods.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Doing pradakṣiṇā, with the implication that it pleases divine beings who may grant boons.