Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

आरुह्य वृषभं धर्मं कैलासं पर्वतं ययौ । धर्मपुष्करिणीतीरे गालव त्वमतोधुना

Transliteration

āruhya vṛṣabhaṃ dharmaṃ kailāsaṃ parvataṃ yayau | dharmapuṣkariṇītīre gālava tvamatodhunā

Translation

ധർമ്മരൂപമായ വൃഷഭത്തെ അധിരോഹിച്ച് അദ്ദേഹം കൈലാസപർവതത്തിലേക്ക് പോയി. അതിനാൽ ഇപ്പോൾ, ഹേ ഗാലവ, ധർമ്മപുഷ്കരിണിയുടെ തീരത്ത് വസിക്കു.

Word by Word

• आरुह्य: having mounted
• आरुह्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त्वान्त (absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having mounted)

• वृषभम्: the bull
• वृषभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धर्मम्: Dharma (as the bull’s name)
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्य-रूपेण वृषभस्य (apposition)

• कैलासम्: Kailāsa
• कैलासम्: Karma (Goal/गन्तव्य-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैलास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पर्वतम्: mountain
• पर्वतम्: Karma (Goal/गन्तव्य-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कैलासस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन्

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धर्मपुष्करिणीतीरे: on the bank of the Dharma-lake
• धर्मपुष्करिणीतीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्करिणी (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (धर्मपुष्करिण्याः तीरम्)

• गालव: O Gālava
• गालव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गालव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Modifier (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक/तस्मात्-अर्थक-अव्यय (therefore/from here)

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, addressing Gālava)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmapuṣkariṇī

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Gālava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Lord mounts the bull identified with Dharma and departs toward snow-clad Kailāsa; below, Gālava stands at the lotus-pond bank receiving the instruction to remain.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Kailāsa
• Dharmapuṣkariṇī
• Gālava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

After establishing sacred geography, the seeker is directed to stay near the tīrtha—place-based sādhana is central to Purāṇic practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmapuṣkariṇī and its tīra (bank/shore) in the Setu-region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied prescription: remain at the tīrtha-bank as a base for disciplined practice (tapas), expanded in the next verse.