Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तदा वैवस्वतः प्राह भूमावस्त्यर्बुदाचलः । तत्र मेऽतिप्रियं तीर्थं यत्र तप्तं मया तपः

Transliteration

tadā vaivasvataḥ prāha bhūmāvastyarbudācalaḥ | tatra me'tipriyaṃ tīrthaṃ yatra taptaṃ mayā tapaḥ

Translation

Da sprach Vaivasvata (Yama): „Auf Erden gibt es den Berg Arbuda. Dort ist ein mir überaus lieber Tīrtha, wo ich selbst einst Askese übte.“

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• वैवस्वतः: Vaivasvata (Yama)
• वैवस्वतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैवस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; यम-नाम

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√अह्/√ब्रू (धातु; लिट्-रूप ‘प्राह’)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• भूमौ: on earth
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• अस्ति: there is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• अर्बुदाचलः: Mount Arbuda
• अर्बुदाचलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक) + अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘अर्बुद-नामकः अचलः’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; enclitic genitive ‘of me/my’

• अतिप्रियम्: very dear
• अतिप्रियम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘अति-प्रिय’

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-देशवाचक (relative adverb ‘where’)

• तप्तम्: was performed (austerity)
• तप्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तप् (धातु) → तप्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; here ‘performed/undertaken’ (tapas)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; here object of ‘तप्तम्’

Speaker

Yama (Vaivasvata/Dharmarāja)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yama-priya tīrtha on Arbudācala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yamadūtas (messengers)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dharmarāja (Yama) speaks with solemn authority, pointing toward the earth/landscape as Arbudācala rises—forested slopes, rocky peak, and a luminous tīrtha spot where he once performed austerities.

Characters & Entities

• Vaivasvata
• Yama
• Arbudācala
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha becomes supremely potent when sanctified by tapas; even Dharmarāja venerates such places, showing that sacred geography is rooted in spiritual practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Yama-associated tīrtha on Arbudācala (Arbuda Mountain/Mount Abu), described as especially dear to Vaivasvata.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is referenced as the sanctifying act; no specific vrata or bathing rule is stated in this verse.