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

Nàng không cúi lạy Mahādeva, cũng chẳng làm pradakṣiṇā (đi nhiễu quanh). Chính vì thế, tuy nàng đã đi, nhưng không còn trở lại nữa.

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.