Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

तत्र निर्गच्छतो नित्यं कुर्वतश्चप्रवेशनम् । प्रदक्षिणाभवद्देव्या नित्यमेव द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

tatra nirgacchato nityaṃ kurvataścapraveśanam | pradakṣiṇābhavaddevyā nityameva dvijottamāḥ

Translation

ที่นั่น เมื่อเราก้าวออกและกลับเข้าไปทุกวัน โอ้พราหมณ์ผู้เลิศ การเคลื่อนไหวนั้นก็กลายเป็นประทักษิณาแด่พระเทวีอยู่เสมอ

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Spatial/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• निर्गच्छतः: (of me) going out
• निर्गच्छतः: Sambandha (Genitive absolute-like/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-गम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); षष्ठी (genitive) एकवचन; ‘of (me) going out’

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• कुर्वतः: (of me) doing
• कुर्वतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त; षष्ठी एकवचन; ‘of (me) doing’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• प्रवेशनम्: entering
• प्रवेशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवेशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘entering’ (as an act)

• प्रदक्षिणा: circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अभवत्: became/occurred
• अभवत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past/लङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देव्याः: of the goddess
• देव्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Visheshana (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), बहुवचन

Speaker

Rājā (past-life narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devī-āyatana (name not specified)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottamāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A parrot repeatedly flies out from and returns to its nest along a path that circles the Devī sanctum, visually tracing a clockwise pradakṣiṇā; brāhmaṇas listen as the king narrates this marvel.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Pradakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even unintentional or routine actions, when oriented around a sacred center, can become potent worship and generate puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Devī temple precinct in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the emphasis is on the sanctity of the shrine’s circumambulatory space.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular pradakṣiṇā of the Goddess (moving around the deity/shrine) is the key practice implied.