Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । वर्षेवर्षे महीपाल त्वमत्राऽगत्य यत्नतः । करोषि मंत्रिणा सार्धं पुरस्याऽस्य प्रदक्षिणाम्

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | varṣevarṣe mahīpāla tvamatrā'gatya yatnataḥ | karoṣi maṃtriṇā sārdhaṃ purasyā'sya pradakṣiṇām

Translation

圣贤们说道：“大王啊，你年复一年谨慎来到此地，并与宰辅同往，行此城之右绕礼（pradakṣiṇā）。”

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd); बहुवचन; धातुः—वच् (वचने)

• वर्षे: in (each) year
• वर्षे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• वर्षे: year after year
• वर्षे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (वर्षे वर्षे = year after year)

• महीपाल: O king (protector of the earth)
• महीपाल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative); एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महीपाः = पृथिव्याः पालः)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुषार्थे (2nd person pronoun); प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• आगत्य: having come
• आगत्य: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्यय (Gerund/absolutive); धातुः—आगम्/गम् (गत्यर्थे)

• यत्नतः: with effort, carefully
• यत्नतः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb: with effort)

• करोषि: you do, you perform
• करोषि: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); परस्मैपद; मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd); एकवचन; धातुः—कृ (करणे)

• मन्त्रिणा: with the minister
• मन्त्रिणा: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Sahakari (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (with/together with)

• पुरस्य: of the city
• पुरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• प्रदक्षिणाम्: circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

Speaker

Ṛṣis (explicit)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages addressing the king, gesturing toward the city’s sacred perimeter; in the background, a procession-like parikramā path with the king and minister walking reverently around walls, shrines, and gates.

Characters & Entities

• ṛṣi
• mahīpāla (king)
• mantrin (minister)
• pura (city)
• pradakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular, disciplined return to a sacred place and repeated acts of reverence (like pradakṣiṇā) cultivate steady devotion and dharmic kingship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The “city” (pura) of the chapter’s kṣetra is honored through the act of circumambulation; the exact name is supplied by Adhyāya 14’s broader description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā of the city, performed annually and with diligence, is explicitly mentioned.