Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पुरासीत्पृथिवीपालो ह्यंबरीषो युगे कृते । हरिमाराधयामास तपस्तेपे सुदुष्करम्

Transliteration

purāsītpṛthivīpālo hyaṃbarīṣo yuge kṛte | harimārādhayāmāsa tapastepe suduṣkaram

Translation

Dans les temps anciens, au Kṛta Yuga, il y eut un souverain de la terre nommé Ambārīṣa. Il adora Hari et accomplit des austérités extrêmement ardues.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: formerly/once)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• पृथिवीपालः: protector of the earth, king
• पृथिवीपालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (pṛthivyāḥ pālaḥ)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• अम्बरीषः: Ambarīṣa
• अम्बरीषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बरीष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (proper noun)

• युगे: in the age
• युगे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन (singular)

• कृते: (in) the Kṛta (Satya) age
• कृते: Adhikarana (Qualifier of locus/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier) युगे इति

• हरिम्: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• आराधयामास: worshipped, propitiated
• आराधयामास: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तेपे: performed (austerity)
• तेपे: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• सुदुष्करम्: very difficult
• सुदुष्करम्: Karman (Qualifier of object/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् तपः इति; कर्मधारयः (अतिदुष्करम्)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ambārīṣa-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpaśreṣṭha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ambārīṣa, crowned yet ascetic, performs Hari-pūjā beside a forested tīrtha; he stands in penance posture, with offerings arranged, while celestial beings observe the intensity of his tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Ambārīṣa
• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Kṛta-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kingship is sanctified by devotion and austerity; spiritual discipline can transform a locale into a revered tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ambārīṣa’s tīrtha, whose sanctity is rooted in the rājaṛṣi’s worship of Hari and tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas and ārādhana (worship) of Hari are presented as the exemplary practices underlying the tīrtha’s greatness.