Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सारस्वत उवाच । अथासौ वामनो विप्रो लब्धज्ञानो भवार्चने । जगाम तद्वनं रम्यं गिरे रैवतकस्य यत्

Transliteration

sārasvata uvāca | athāsau vāmano vipro labdhajñāno bhavārcane | jagāma tadvanaṃ ramyaṃ gire raivatakasya yat

Translation

Sārasvata dit : Alors le brāhmane Vāmana, ayant obtenu la connaissance spirituelle par le culte de Bhava (Śiva), se rendit dans cette forêt charmante qui appartient au mont Raivataka.

Word by Word

• सारस्वतः: Sārasvata
• सारस्वतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/अनन्तर्य-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunctive adverb: then/now)

• असौ: that (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; दूरवाचक-सर्वनाम

• वामनः: Vāmana
• वामनः: Karta (Apposition/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विप्रः: brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Apposition/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• लब्धज्ञानः: having obtained knowledge
• लब्धज्ञानः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लब्ध-ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘लब्ध’; समासः: लब्धं ज्ञानं यस्य (तत्पुरुष-भाव)

• भवार्चने: in the worship of Bhava (Śiva)
• भवार्चने: Adhikarana (Sphere/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव-अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः: भवस्य अर्चनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• रम्यम्: beautiful
• रम्यम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• गिरेः: of the mountain
• गिरेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• रैवतकस्य: of Raivataka
• रैवतकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रैवतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative) — ‘which’ (refers to forest)

Speaker

Sārasvata

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (context) / Raivataka-vana (episode setting)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa Vāmana, serene and radiant from Śiva-worship, walks toward a lush forest at the foot-slopes of Raivataka mountain; distant peaks, sacred groves, and a pilgrim path with deer and birds.

Characters & Entities

• Sārasvata
• Vāmana
• Bhava (Śiva)
• Raivataka Mountain

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowledge ripens through sincere Śiva-worship and inspires further pilgrimage and seeking of holy places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The forest associated with Mount Raivataka in the Prabhāsa region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhavārcana—worship of Bhava (Śiva)—is referenced as Vāmana’s practice.