Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

पुण्ये चाप्यर्बुदारण्ये स्वर्गमोक्षप्रदे नृणाम् । अचलेश्वरलिंगं तु वर्तते यत्र वीरक

Transliteration

puṇye cāpyarbudāraṇye svargamokṣaprade nṛṇām | acaleśvaraliṃgaṃ tu vartate yatra vīraka

Translation

ഓ വീരകാ, മനുഷ്യർക്കു സ്വർഗവും മോക്ഷവും നൽകുന്ന പുണ്യമായ അർബുദാരണ്യത്തിൽ അചലേശ്വര ലിംഗം അവിടെ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു.

Word by Word

• पुण्ये: in the holy (place)
• पुण्ये: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); विशेषण (qualifying ‘अर्बुदारण्ये’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/अपि-अर्थक निपात (also/even)

• अर्बुदारण्ये: in the Arbuda forest
• अर्बुदारण्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); समासः—तत्पुरुष (अर्बुदस्य अरण्यम्)

• स्वर्गमोक्षप्रदे: which grants heaven and liberation
• स्वर्गमोक्षप्रदे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ग + मोक्ष + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्वर्गं मोक्षं च प्रददाति इति)

• नृणाम्: of men/people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; बहुवचन; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive)

• अचलेश्वरलिङ्गम्: the liṅga of Acaleśvara
• अचलेश्वरलिङ्गम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचल + ईश्वर + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); समासः—तत्पुरुष (अचलेश्वरस्य लिङ्गम्)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• वर्तते: exists/is found
• वर्तते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• वीरक: O Vīraka
• वीरक: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative)

Speaker

Śailajā (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbudāraṇya (Arbuda forest) — Acaleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vīraka

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred forest of Arbuda with a prominent, steady (acala) Śiva-liṅga shrine—pilgrims approaching; the atmosphere conveys promise of heaven and liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Arbudāraṇya
• Acaleśvara-liṅga
• Vīraka
• Śailajā (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography matters in Purāṇic dharma: devotion at a consecrated Śaiva site can lead to both worldly merit and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbudāraṇya, specifically the shrine of the Acaleśvara-liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied worship/visit (darśana, pūjā) of the Acaleśvara-liṅga at Arbudāraṇya, though no specific rite is detailed in this verse.