Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच । द्विसहस्रं तु दैर्घ्येण विस्तरेण त्रिसहस्रकम् । न संख्या विद्यतेऽधस्तात्तस्य पर्वतसत्तम

Transliteration

vasiṣṭha uvāca | dvisahasraṃ tu dairghyeṇa vistareṇa trisahasrakam | na saṃkhyā vidyate'dhastāttasya parvatasattama

Translation

Vasiṣṭha dit : «Sa longueur est de deux mille et sa largeur de trois mille. Mais, en dessous, sa profondeur est sans mesure, ô le meilleur des monts.»

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Speech act)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• द्विसहस्रम्: two thousand
• द्विसहस्रम्: Pramāṇa (Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (संख्या) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (here: measure as predicate; nominative/accusative singular)

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अनुवाद-निपात (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• दैर्घ्येण: by length
• दैर्घ्येण: Karaṇa (Dimension: lengthwise)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• विस्तरेण: by breadth
• विस्तरेण: Karaṇa (Dimension: breadthwise)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• त्रिसहस्रकम्: three thousand
• त्रिसहस्रकम्: Pramāṇa (Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + सहस्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (measure)

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

• संख्या: a count/number
• संख्या: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• विद्यते: exists, is found
• विद्यते: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; भावे/सत्तायाम् (exists)

• अधस्तात्: below
• अधस्तात्: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: ‘below/underneath’)

• तस्य: of it
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन, पुं/नपुंसक (Genitive singular); ‘विवरस्य/श्वभ्रस्य’ इत्यर्थे

• पर्वतसत्तम: O best of mountains
• पर्वतसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पर्वतानां सत्तमः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-एकवचन (Vocative singular)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (Arbudācala)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Himavān

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Vasiṣṭha describes Arbuda’s vast dimensions to Himavān; the mountain is shown with a yawning, shadowed chasm whose depth disappears into darkness, suggesting the uncountable below.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Himavān (parvatasattama)
• śvabhra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Some dangers are vast and deep; dharmic responsibility requires acknowledging the true scale of a problem and seeking fitting remedies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sanctified āśrama-environment in the Arbuda-khaṇḍa is highlighted through the description of a formidable natural hazard.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse provides descriptive dimensions to enable the corrective action.