Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

किं तस्य जीवितेनार्थः किं धनैः किं जपैर्नृप । यो न पश्यति मन्दात्मा समन्तादर्बुदाचलम्

Transliteration

kiṃ tasya jīvitenārthaḥ kiṃ dhanaiḥ kiṃ japairnṛpa | yo na paśyati mandātmā samantādarbudācalam

Translation

O king, what worth is his life—what worth his wealth, what worth his japa—if that dull-minded man does not behold Mount Arbuda in its full expanse on every side?

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक-सर्वनाम

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• जीवितेन: with life; by living
• जीवितेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अर्थः: purpose, benefit
• अर्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• धनैः: with wealth; by riches
• धनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• जपैः: with recitations; by chants
• जपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मन्दात्मा: a dull-minded person
• मन्दात्मा: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्द + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष्य-स्वरूपवाचक (यः इति)

• समन्तात्: from all sides; all around
• समन्तात्: Modifier (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात् (अव्यय/तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययीभावार्थक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘from all sides/entirely’)

• अर्बुदाचलम्: Mount Arbuda
• अर्बुदाचलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद + अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म (पश्यति इति)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbudācala

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa / Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king being admonished by a sage: on one side symbols of wealth (coins, elephants) and japa (mālā), on the other the vast Arbuda mountain glowing; the contrast shows true value lies in darśana.

Characters & Entities

• Arbudācala (Mount Arbuda)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Religious acts and possessions are considered incomplete without direct encounter (darśana) with sanctified geography that awakens devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbudācala (the Arbuda mountain) is praised as essential to behold.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana of Arbuda is urged; japa is mentioned but subordinated to pilgrimage-vision here.