aparikrāmam

 The word "aparikrāmam" in Devanagari script is written as "अपरिक्रामम्"

In Sanskrit, the term ‘aparikrāmam’ refers to being “unable to walk around” 

or “not circumambulating,” and is also used figuratively to indicate lack 

of diligence or incapacity to act

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Etymology

The word aparikrāmam (अपरिक्रामम्) is a compound formed from the 

prefix a-, meaning “not” or “without,” and parikrama, which comes from 

pari (“around”) and krama (“step” or “progression”)

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Literally, it means “not going around” or “without circumambulating.” 

In Hindu ritual contexts, parikrama implies walking around a sacred 

object, deity, or place clockwise as a form of devotion, so aparikrama 

denotes the inability to perform such circumambulation

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Meanings in Context

Literal Sense: Unable to walk around physically, not able to perform 

circumambulation, often used in ancient Sanskrit texts such as the

Ramayana: “जानन्नपि च किं कुर्यादशक्तश्चापरिक्रमः” — indicating a person 

who is physically incapable of circling around

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Figurative or Adjective Sense: Signifying one who is not diligent or 

incapable of action; it can describe someone lacking energy or initiative

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Comparison with Parikrama

While parikrama refers to the act of circumambulating a sacred site, 

deity, or natural feature — a common practice in Hindu traditions for

spiritual merit and meditation

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— aparikrāmam 

represents the negation of this action, either literally (unable to walk or 

circle) or metaphorically (inactive or remiss).

Usage in Literature

Appears in epic texts like the Ramayana to describe physical incapacity

or lack of ability

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Used in classical Sanskrit dictionaries and literature as an adjective 

describing inability, inactivity, or lack of effort

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In summary, aparikrāmam is a Sanskrit term describing inability 

to make a circumambulation, both in the physical sense and metaphorically 

to represent non-diligence, directly contrasting the religious and ritual

significance of parikrama in Indic spiritual practice

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