Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । अर्बुदः पर्वतश्रेष्ठः कलिस्तत्र न विद्यते । अतस्तत्र च गंतव्यं तीर्थैरायतनैः सह

Transliteration

brahmovāca | arbudaḥ parvataśreṣṭhaḥ kalistatra na vidyate | atastatra ca gaṃtavyaṃ tīrthairāyatanaiḥ saha

Translation

Brahmā dit : «Arbuda est le plus éminent des monts ; Kali n’y existe pas. C’est pourquoi, ô tīrthas, allez-y avec vos sanctuaires et vos demeures.»

Word by Word

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• arbudaḥ: Arbuda (mountain)
• arbudaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arbuda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• parvata-śreṣṭhaḥ: best of mountains
• parvata-śreṣṭhaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parvata + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘अर्बुदः’ इत्यस्य

• kaliḥ: Kali (the age/personification)
• kaliḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation particle)

• vidyate: exists
• vidyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; भावे प्रयोगः—‘विद्यते’ (exists)

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Sambandha (Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ-अव्यय (therefore/from this)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• gantavyam: one must go
• gantavyam: Kriya (Obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gantavya (√gam धातु; तव्यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive) — ‘गन्तव्यम्’ (to be gone)

• tīrthaiḥ: with the holy places
• tīrthaiḥ: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• āyatanaiḥ: with the abodes/shrines
• āyatanaiḥ: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyatana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश (indeclinable: with)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā proclaims Arbuda the foremost mountain, gesturing toward a radiant peak; tīrthas prepare to depart carrying their shrines/āyatanas as luminous mini-temples.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Arbuda (Mount Abu)
• Kali
• Tīrthas
• Āyatana (shrines)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is preserved where adharma (Kali) cannot enter; seeking such sanctified space supports spiritual continuity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda—celebrated as the best of mountains and free from Kali—becomes the refuge of tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A directive is given: tīrthas (and their āyatanas) are to relocate to Arbuda; for devotees, it implies seeking pilgrimage there in Kali Yuga.