Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

अभिप्रायोऽस्ति मे कश्चिज्जलाश्रयव्रतोद्भवः । क्रियतामुत्तमं कुण्डमस्मिन्पर्वतरोधसि

Transliteration

abhiprāyo'sti me kaścijjalāśrayavratodbhavaḥ | kriyatāmuttamaṃ kuṇḍamasminparvatarodhasi

Translation

«J’ai une intention, née d’un vœu lié au fait de demeurer dans l’eau. Qu’on réalise ici, sur ce versant/ce remblai de la montagne, un kuṇḍa excellent, un bassin sacré.»

Word by Word

• अभिप्रायः: intention, plan
• अभिप्रायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिप्राय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्ति: is, exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• मे: my, of me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• कश्चित्: some, a certain
• कश्चित्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कश्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• जलाश्रयव्रतोद्भवः: arising from a vow connected with water-resort
• जलाश्रयव्रतोद्भवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (water as resort; arising from a vow)

• क्रियताम्: let (it) be done / may (it) be made
• क्रियताम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुण्डम्: pond, tank
• कुण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पर्वतरोधसि: on the mountain-slope/bank
• पर्वतरोधसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + रोधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पर्वतस्य रोधसि)

Speaker

Pulastya (quoting Śiva’s intention/instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kuṇḍa (to be established)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpasattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva declares his intention—born of a water-dwelling vow—and points to a specific place on the mountain slope; gaṇas listen attentively, ready to carve and line the tank.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kuṇḍa
• Arbuda mountain

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vows (vrata) and sacred waters are central to purāṇic dharma; creating a tīrtha is portrayed as compassionate provision for devotees’ purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A newly ordained kuṇḍa on Mount Arbuda, tied to Acaleśvara’s presence and the Gaṅgā-saṃgama theme.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The instruction to construct an ‘uttama kuṇḍa’ (excellent sacred tank), implying future snāna (holy bathing) and tīrtha observances.