Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अर्बुदाख्यो नगो नाम विख्यातो यो धरातले । तस्य यात्राक्रमं ब्रूहि तत्फलं द्विजसत्तम

Transliteration

arbudākhyo nago nāma vikhyāto yo dharātale | tasya yātrākramaṃ brūhi tatphalaṃ dvijasattama

Translation

« Il est une montagne nommée Arbuda, renommée sur la terre. Ô meilleur des deux-fois-nés, dis-moi l’ordre juste du pèlerinage en ce lieu — et le mérite qui en découle. »

Word by Word

• arbudākhyaḥ: named Arbuda
• arbudākhyaḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: arbuda (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (अर्बुद इति आख्या यस्य/अर्बुद-आख्यः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (नगः)

• nagaḥ: mountain
• nagaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Nāmadhāraṇa (Naming particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (नामनिर्देशक particle: ‘by name’)

• vikhyātaḥ: renowned
• vikhyātaḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: khyā (धातु) → vi-khyāta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• yaḥ: which/who
• yaḥ: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• dharā-tale: on the earth's surface
• dharā-tale: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharā (प्रातिपदिक) + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (धरायाः तलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• tasya: of it/of that (mountain)
• tasya: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• yātrā-kramam: the procedure of pilgrimage
• yātrā-kramam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātrā (प्रातिपदिक) + krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यात्रायाः क्रमः); पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• brūhi: tell
• brūhi: Kriyā (Request)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tat-phalam: its fruit/result
• tat-phalam: Karma (Object, coordinated)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (तत् एव फलम् / तस्य फलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• dvija-sattama: O best of the twice-born
• dvija-sattama: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजानां सत्तमः); पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Yayāti

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-parvata

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (implied) Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis; inner frame: Pulastya questioned by Yayāti

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yayāti, eager and attentive, asks Pulastya to describe Arbuda Mountain’s pilgrimage sequence and the resulting merit.

Characters & Entities

• Arbuda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is not random; tradition values a disciplined yātrā-krama and understanding of its dharmic fruits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda mountain as a pilgrimage-field, soon to be detailed through its key tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks for the yātrā-krama (pilgrimage order), implying structured visitation and observances.