Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

सत्यशौचविहीनस्तु मायामत्सरसंयुतः । स कदाचिन्मृगयासक्त आरूढोऽर्बुदपर्वते

Transliteration

satyaśaucavihīnastu māyāmatsarasaṃyutaḥ | sa kadācinmṛgayāsakta ārūḍho'rbudaparvate

Translation

Privé de vérité et de pureté, habité par la ruse et l’envie, un jour — adonné à la chasse — il monta sur le mont Arbuda.

Word by Word

• satyaśaucavihīnaḥ: devoid of truth and purity
• satyaśaucavihīnaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satya-śauca-vihīna (प्रातिपदिक; सत्य + शौच + विहीन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; सत्यशौचयोः विहीनः (devoid of truth and purity)

• tu: but; indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/अन्वय (particle: but/indeed)

• māyāmatsarasaṃyutaḥ: possessed of deceit and envy
• māyāmatsarasaṃyutaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māyā-matsara-saṃyuta (प्रातिपदिक; माया + मत्सर + संयुत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; मायामत्सराभ्यां संयुतः (endowed with deceit and envy)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kadācit: once; at some time
• kadācit: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (adverb: once/sometime)

• mṛgayāsaktaḥ: addicted to hunting
• mṛgayāsaktaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛgayā-āsakta (प्रातिपदिक; मृगया + आसक्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; मृगयायाम् आसक्तः (attached to hunting)

• ārūḍhaḥ: having ascended
• ārūḍhaḥ: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-ruh (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; 'having mounted/ascended'

• arbuda-parvate: on Mount Arbuda
• arbuda-parvate: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arbuda-parvata (प्रातिपदिक; अर्बुद + पर्वत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; स्थानाधिकरण (on Mount Arbuda)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Arbuda Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbudaparvata

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘nṛpa-sattama’ addressee

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, armed for the hunt, ascends a rugged, sacred mountain path; his face shows deceit and envy, while the mountain appears serene and ancient—suggesting a clash between inner vice and outer sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Arbudaparvata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When inner virtues like truth and purity are abandoned, even royal power turns toward destructive pursuits, drawing one into further downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbudaparvata (Arbudācala/Mount Abu) is the sacred setting where the ensuing tīrtha-māhātmya unfolds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; the verse situates the character at Arbuda Mountain, preparing for the tīrtha’s revelatory event.