Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

संसारी न पुनर्भूयान्महेश्वरवचो यथा । अर्बुदो यदि लभ्येत सेवितुं जन्मदुःखितैः

Transliteration

saṃsārī na punarbhūyānmaheśvaravaco yathā | arbudo yadi labhyeta sevituṃ janmaduḥkhitaiḥ

Translation

لكي لا يعود المرء تائهًا في السَّمْسارا مرة أخرى—كما نطق مهيشڤرا (Maheśvara)—ليت جبل أَربودا (Arbuda) يُنال ويُخدَم ويُزار من قِبَل المكدودين بحزن الولادات المتكرّرة.

Word by Word

• saṃsārī: a transmigrating being
• saṃsārī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃsārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• punar: again
• punar: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्ति-वाचक-अव्यय (adverb: again)

• bhūyāt: may become
• bhūyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘√भू’ = may become

• maheśvara-vacaḥ: the word of Maheśvara
• maheśvara-vacaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (महेश्वरस्य वचः)

• yathā: as/according to
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparator/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकार-वाचक-अव्यय (as/according to)

• arbudaḥ: Arbuda (mountain/place)
• arbudaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arbuda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता/विषय (if-clause subject)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-वाचक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• labhyeta: were to be obtained
• labhyeta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (be obtained)

• sevitum: to visit/serve
• sevitum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sev (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘√सेव्’ = to serve/visit

• janma-duḥkhitaiḥ: by those afflicted with birth (worldly suffering)
• janma-duḥkhitaiḥ: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janman (प्रातिपदिक) + duḥkhita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (जन्मना दुःखिताः) = afflicted by birth; करण/कर्ता-सम्बन्धे (agent in passive sense)

Speaker

Śailajā (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A suffering pilgrim (janma-duḥkhita) looks toward Arbuda’s peak where Śiva’s presence is felt; a scroll of ‘Maheśvara-vacana’ radiates above, and a broken wheel symbolizes cessation of saṃsāra.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Arbuda (sacred mountain/place)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving a great Śaiva tīrtha with faith is presented as a means to end the cycle of rebirth, in alignment with Śiva’s own word.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda (Mount Arbuda/Arbudāraṇya), praised as a place worthy of ‘seva’ for seekers burdened by saṃsāra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā—devotional attendance such as pilgrimage, worship, and sustained reverence toward the Arbuda sacred site.