Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

विस्तरेण च संख्या स्यादपि वर्षशतैरपि । असंख्यानीह तीर्थानि पुण्यान्यायतनानि च । पदेपदे गृहाण्येव निर्मितानि महर्षिभिः

Transliteration

vistareṇa ca saṃkhyā syādapi varṣaśatairapi | asaṃkhyānīha tīrthāni puṇyānyāyatanāni ca | padepade gṛhāṇyeva nirmitāni maharṣibhiḥ

Translation

Même en les dénombrant en détail, fût-ce durant des centaines d’années, on n’en viendrait pas à bout. Ici se trouvent d’innombrables tīrtha et sanctuaires méritoires ; à chaque pas, des āśrama et des demeures édifiés par les grands ṛṣi.

Word by Word

• विस्तरेण: in detail
• विस्तरेण: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (Instrumental used adverbially): ‘विस्तरेण’ = in detail

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• संख्या: count/number
• संख्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃkhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्भावना/अपि = even/also)

• वर्ष-शतैः: by hundreds of years
• वर्ष-शतैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: द्विगु (शतं वर्षाणि) = hundreds of years; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instrumental plural)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (even/also)

• असंख्यानि: countless
• असंख्यानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: asaṃkhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (agreeing with ‘तीर्थानि’)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक adverb): here

• तीर्थानि: pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पुण्यानि: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (agreeing with ‘तीर्थानि/आयतनानि’)

• आयतनानि: shrines/abodes
• आयतनानि: Karta (Co-subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyatana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (and)

• पदे: at (each) step/place
• पदे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• पदे: at every step
• पदे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (pade pade)

• गृहाणि: houses/dwellings
• गृहाणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण/particle: indeed/only)

• निर्मितानि: built/constructed
• निर्मितानि: Kriyā (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-√mā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (agreeing with ‘गृहाणि’)

• महर्षिभिः: by great sages
• महर्षिभिः: Karaṇa (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय (‘महान्तः ऋषयः’); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instrumental plural)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (collective tīrtha-field)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic sacred mountain landscape: multiple small shrines, kundas, and hermitages scattered along paths; rishis building huts; pilgrims moving from one spot to another, conveying ‘at every step’ sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Arbuda (Arbudācala)
• Maharṣis
• Tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred landscapes are portrayed as inexhaustible reservoirs of merit, shaped and sanctified by ṛṣis over ages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda region as a whole—presented as dense with innumerable tīrthas and sanctuaries.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the verse motivates tīrtha-yātrā by emphasizing abundance of holy sites.