Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

वालखिल्याश्रमं प्राप्तः पुण्यं सद्वृक्षशोभितम् । स तत्र भगवांस्तेषां दारैर्दृष्टः सुरूपवान्

Transliteration

vālakhilyāśramaṃ prāptaḥ puṇyaṃ sadvṛkṣaśobhitam | sa tatra bhagavāṃsteṣāṃ dārairdṛṣṭaḥ surūpavān

Translation

ಅವನು ವಾಲಖಿಲ್ಯರ ಪುಣ್ಯಾಶ್ರಮವನ್ನು ತಲುಪಿದನು; ಅದು ಸತ್ಕೃಕ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ಶೋಭಿತವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಅವರ ಪತ್ನಿಯರು ಆ ಭಗವಂತನನ್ನು ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಸುಂದರ ರೂಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡರು.

Word by Word

• वालखिल्याश्रमम्: the hermitage of the Vālakhilyas
• वालखिल्याश्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vālakhilya + āśrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वालखिल्यानाम् आश्रमः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्राप्तः: having reached
• प्राप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra + √āp + ta (धातु √आप्; कृदन्त 'prāpta')
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'having reached'

• पुण्यम्: holy
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (आश्रमम् इति)

• सद्वृक्षशोभितम्: adorned with good trees
• सद्वृक्षशोभितम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sat + vṛkṣa + śobhita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सद्भिः वृक्षैः शोभितम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb): 'there'

• भगवान्: the Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'the Lord'

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• दारैः: by the wives
• दारैः: Karaṇa (Agentive instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāra (प्रातिपदिक; नित्यबहुवचन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; नित्यबहुवचन-शब्द (wives)

• दृष्टः: was seen
• दृष्टः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dṛś + ta (धातु √दृश्; कृदन्त 'dṛṣṭa')
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'seen'

• सुरूपवान्: handsome
• सुरूपवान्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + rūpa + vat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सु-रूपः यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vālakhilya-āśrama

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (pārthiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene hermitage shaded by venerable trees; Śiva appears as a supremely handsome ascetic; the sages’ wives notice him, foreshadowing disturbance in an otherwise pure setting.

Characters & Entities

• Vālakhilyas
• Bhagavān (Śiva implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places (āśramas/forests) are depicted as spiritually charged landscapes where divine presence becomes perceptible—linking sacred geography with devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vālakhilya-āśrama is highlighted as a ‘puṇya’ sacred locale (āśrama as a tīrtha-like holy space).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.