Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

यतस्त्वत्प्रतिमामेकामर्चयामि विधानतः । पूजयिष्यंति लोकास्त्वां शंखचक्रगदाधरम्

Transliteration

yatastvatpratimāmekāmarcayāmi vidhānataḥ | pūjayiṣyaṃti lokāstvāṃ śaṃkhacakragadādharam

Translation

Car j’adorerai une unique image de Toi selon l’ordonnance prescrite ; et les hommes T’adoreront, Toi qui portes la conque, le disque et la massue.

Word by Word

• yataḥ: because/therefore
• yataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/हेतु-अर्थे), ‘यतः’ = ‘यतः कारणात्/यस्मात्’ (from which/therefore)

• tvat-pratimām: your image
• tvat-pratimām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + pratimā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्वत्-प्रति मा = ‘your image’)

• ekām: one (single)
• ekām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘pratimām’)

• arcayāmi: I worship
• arcayāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: अर्च् (पूजायाम्)

• vidhānataḥ: according to the prescribed rule
• vidhānataḥ: Prakaraṇa (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त), ‘-तः’ = ‘according to/in accordance with’

• pūjayiṣyanti: they will worship
• pūjayiṣyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: पूज् (पूजायाम्)

• lokāḥ: people
• lokāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; पुरुषवाचक-सर्वनाम

• śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-dharam: the bearer of conch, discus, and mace
• śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-dharam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṅkha (प्रातिपदिक) + cakra (प्रातिपदिक) + gadā (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (उपपद-समासः): ‘शङ्खं चक्रं गदां च धरति’

Speaker

Ambārīṣa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hari-pratimā-sthāna (Arbuda)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ambārīṣa declares he will worship a single icon of Viṣṇu; the envisioned image is four-armed, holding conch, discus, and mace (and typically lotus), standing in dignified stillness as people gather for worship.

Characters & Entities

• Ambārīṣa
• Viṣṇu (Śaṃkha-cakra-gadā-dhara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Properly performed arcana (icon worship) establishes a durable devotional center that uplifts the wider community.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the emergence of a local Vaiṣṇava shrine in Ambārīṣa’s āśrama within the Arbuda-khaṇḍa landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana/pūjā “vidhānataḥ”—worship according to prescribed rites, centered on a pratimā (icon).