Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

सोऽहमाराधयिष्यामि तथैव चतुराननम् । कृत्वाऽश्रमपदं रम्यमर्बुदे पर्वतोत्तमे

Transliteration

so'hamārādhayiṣyāmi tathaiva caturānanam | kṛtvā'śramapadaṃ ramyamarbude parvatottame

Translation

Ich werde eben jenen viergesichtigen Herrn, Brahmā, verehren. Nachdem ich auf dem Arbuda, dem besten der Berge, eine liebliche Einsiedelei errichtet habe, werde ich mich ganz seiner Anbetung hingeben.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आराधयिष्यामि: I will worship/propitiate
• आराधयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: राध् (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/so')

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• चतुराननम्: the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• चतुराननम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (चत्वारि आननानि यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• आश्रमपदम्: a hermitage-site
• आश्रमपदम्: Karma (Object of कृत्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आश्रमस्य पदम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रम्यम्: beautiful
• रम्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to आश्रमपदम्)

• अर्बुदे: on/at Arbuda
• अर्बुदे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (स्थलनाम), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• पर्वतोत्तमे: on the best of mountains
• पर्वतोत्तमे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (उत्तमः पर्वतः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Bālaka (the boy)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (frame); within story: boy speaking to father

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The boy vows to worship four-faced Brahmā and to establish a beautiful hermitage on Arbuda, the supreme mountain—an image of sacred settlement and disciplined devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Caturānana)
• Arbuda (Mount Abu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A holy place becomes spiritually potent through sustained worship and disciplined life; devotion is anchored in sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda—celebrated as ‘parvatottama’ (the best of mountains)—is directly praised as a fit seat for āśrama and worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upāsanā/ārādhanā of Brahmā and the founding of an āśrama (hermitage) are indicated as the religious program.