Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

कानि तीर्थानि मुख्यानि ह्यर्बुदे संति पर्वते । सर्वं विस्तरतो ब्रूहि परं कौतूहलं हि नः

Transliteration

kāni tīrthāni mukhyāni hyarbude saṃti parvate | sarvaṃ vistarato brūhi paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi naḥ

Translation

«Quels sont les tīrtha principaux que l’on trouve sur le mont Arbuda ? Dis-nous tout en détail, car notre désir de savoir est immense.»

Word by Word

• कानि: which (ones)
• कानि: Vishaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन (plural); प्रश्नवाचक

• तीर्थानि: tirthas, sacred places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन (plural)

• मुख्यानि: principal, chief
• मुख्यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन (plural); विशेषण

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), निपात (emphatic particle)

• अर्बुदे: in/at Arbuda
• अर्बुदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• सन्ति: are, exist
• सन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• पर्वते: on the mountain
• पर्वते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• विस्तरतः: in detail
• विस्तरतः: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (adverbial in -tas), क्रियाविशेषण

• ब्रूहि: tell (you)
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular)

• परम्: great, intense
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity
• कौतूहलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), निपात (emphatic particle)

• नः: of us, our
• नः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th) बहुवचन (plural) / वैकल्पिकं दत्तिः (enclitic 'naḥ' = of us/for us)

Speaker

Ṛṣis

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda tīrtha-s (chief sites to be enumerated)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / dvija-śreṣṭhas (assembly of sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of attentive sages asks the narrator to reveal the chief sacred fords and shrines on the wooded, rocky heights of Arbuda; the mountain looms in the background like a pilgrimage mandala.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Arbuda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is guided by knowing the chief tīrthas and their specific merits, not by vague devotion alone.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mount Arbuda as a tīrtha-cluster containing multiple principal sacred spots.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse requests a detailed enumeration of tīrthas (implying yātrā guidance).