Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अद्यापि देवताखातं त्रैलोक्ये ख्यातिमागतम् । तत्र व्रतपराः सर्वे पत्रमूलफलाशिनः

Transliteration

adyāpi devatākhātaṃ trailokye khyātimāgatam | tatra vrataparāḥ sarve patramūlaphalāśinaḥ

Translation

Aujourd’hui encore, on le connaît comme un lieu des dieux, et sa renommée s’est étendue aux trois mondes. Là, tous, voués aux vœux, se nourrissaient de feuilles, de racines et de fruits.

Word by Word

• adya-api: even today
• adya-api: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-द्वय (कालवाचक + अपि)

• devatā-akhātam: dug by the gods
• devatā-akhātam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक) + khāta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवताभिः/देवतायाः खातम् = dug by deities)

• trailokye: in the three worlds
• trailokye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयः लोकाः)

• khyātim: fame
• khyātim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khyāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• āgatam: having attained/come to
• āgatam: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√gam (धातु) + ta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; (कhyātim āgatam = having attained fame)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• vrata-parāḥ: devoted to vows
• vrata-parāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (व्रते पराः = devoted to vows)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• patra-mūla-phala-āśinaḥ: eating leaves, roots, and fruits
• patra-mūla-phala-āśinaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: patra (प्रातिपदिक) + mūla (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + āśin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (पत्रमूलफलानि अश्नन्ति = leaf-root-fruit eaters)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (devatā-khāta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred mountain-tract revered as ‘place of the gods’: clusters of ascetics in bark/cloth, living on leaves, roots, and fruits; quiet groves, small huts, deer and peacocks, distant shrine silhouettes.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Arbuda sacred region (implied)
• Trailokya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A holy place becomes ‘famous in the three worlds’ through sustained vrata and tapas; renunciation and disciplined living are portrayed as engines of divine help.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The devas’ famed retreat on Arbuda mountain, celebrated as devatā-khāta (known as a place of the gods).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vrata-based austerity with a simple tapas diet—patra-mūla-phala (leaves, roots, fruits).