Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

धर्मकेतुः पुरा राजा यमलोकादुपागतः । मम प्रदक्षिणां कर्त्तुं तुरगेणाभ्यरोचयत्

Transliteration

dharmaketuḥ purā rājā yamalokādupāgataḥ | mama pradakṣiṇāṃ karttuṃ turageṇābhyarocayat

Translation

กาลก่อน มีกษัตริย์นามว่า ธรรมเกตุ เสด็จมาจากยมโลก แล้วทรงปรารถนาจะทำประทักษิณาของเราด้วยการขี่ม้า

Word by Word

• धर्मकेतुः: Dharmaketu (name of a king)
• धर्मकेतुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + केतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष (dharma-ketu = ‘banner/sign of dharma’, proper name)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यमलोकात्: from Yama’s world
• यमलोकात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमलोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष (Yama-loka)

• उपागतः: having come; arrived
• उपागतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + गम् (धातु), क्त-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable infinitive)

• तुरगेण: by a horse
• तुरगेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुरग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अभ्यरोचयत्: he desired/approved
• अभ्यरोचयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + रुच् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; causative sense in context ‘approved/desired’

Speaker

Śiva (continuing the instruction with an illustrative narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aruṇācala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Dharmaketu, bearing marks of having traversed Yama’s realm, arrives at Arunācala; he looks eager and proud, gesturing toward a horse for circumambulation; sages and attendants watch with concern; the hill glows silently, awaiting the consequence.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Dharmaketu
• Yama
• Yamaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even powerful rulers must follow sacred discipline; convenience in holy rites can become an obstacle.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aruṇācala, where the rite of pradakṣiṇā is treated as a strict, meritorious observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It sets up the cautionary example that pradakṣiṇā should not be undertaken via a mount/vehicle.