Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

वह्निं प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य गिरीशस्तदनन्तरम् । दानकाले च गोत्रादि पृष्टो लज्जापरो हर

Transliteration

vahniṃ pradakṣiṇīkṛtya girīśastadanantaram | dānakāle ca gotrādi pṛṣṭo lajjāparo hara

Translation

ครั้นเวียนประทักษิณรอบไฟศักดิ์สิทธิ์แล้ว พระคิรีศะจึงดำเนินพิธีต่อไป และเมื่อถึงกาลถวายทาน ครั้นถูกถามถึงโคตรและสิ่งอื่น ๆ พระหระ (พระศิวะ) ก็ทรงสำรวมเขินอาย

Word by Word

• वह्निम्: fire
• वह्निम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य: having circumambulated
• प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-√दक्षिणी-√कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• गिरीशः: Lord of the mountain (Śiva)
• गिरीशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• तत्: then/that
• तत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावे उपपदत्वेन

• अनन्तरम्: immediately after
• अनन्तरम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• दानकाले: at the time of giving (donation)
• दानकाले: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

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

• गोत्रादि: lineage and the like
• गोत्रादि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘गोत्रम् आदि’ इत्यर्थे समाहार

• पृष्टः: asked
• पृष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √पृच्छ् (धातु) + क्त-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘(सः) पृष्टः’

• लज्जापरः: full of shame; bashful
• लज्जापरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लज्जा + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• हर: O Hara (Śiva)
• हर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Deductive (narrator in Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Girīśa) circumambulates the blazing sacred fire; later, during the gifting moment, priests inquire about gotra, and Śiva appears bashful—eyes lowered, gentle smile—while the assembly watches in awe.

Characters & Entities

• Vahni/Agni (fire)
• Girīśa (Śiva)
• Hara (Śiva)
• Gotra (lineage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual humility is a virtue—dharma is not mere formality but is performed with modesty and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it focuses on marriage-rite actions within the chapter’s sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Circumambulation of the sacred fire (agni-pradakṣiṇā) and the gifting phase (dāna-kāla) with gotra inquiry are mentioned.