Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

ततः क्रमात्समायातः सोऽर्बुदं पर्वतं प्रति । तत्रारुह्य समालोक्य पापघ्नमचलेश्वरम्

Transliteration

tataḥ kramātsamāyātaḥ so'rbudaṃ parvataṃ prati | tatrāruhya samālokya pāpaghnamacaleśvaram

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം ക്രമമായി അവൻ അർബുദപർവതത്തേക്കു എത്തി; അവിടെ കയറി പാപനാശകനായ അചലേശ്വരനെ ദർശിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-अर्थे (ablatival adverb: 'then/from there')

• क्रमात्: in due order/gradually
• क्रमात्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/ablative); एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (idiomatically: 'in due course')

• समायातः: having arrived
• समायातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active sense participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative); एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative); एकवचन

• अर्बुदम्: Arbuda (mountain name)
• अर्बुदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/accusative); एकवचन

• पर्वतम्: mountain
• पर्वतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/accusative); एकवचन

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Sambandha (Directional/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-पूर्वपद/प्रत्ययार्थ (preposition governing accusative: 'towards')

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

• आरुह्य: having ascended
• आरुह्य: Sambandha (Adverbial/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• समालोक्य: having looked at
• समालोक्य: Sambandha (Adverbial/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-लोक् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• पापघ्नम्: sin-destroying
• पापघ्नम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/accusative); एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पापं हन्ति इति)

• अचलेश्वरम्: Acaleśvara (Lord of the mountain)
• अचलेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/accusative); एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अचलस्य ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Sūta (implied continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (Acaleśvara)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pilgrim reaches Mount Arbuda; a steep ascent through rocky paths and sacred groves; at the summit/temple precinct stands the Acaleśvara liṅga or Śiva presence radiating stillness; the king’s face shifts from despair to awe.

Characters & Entities

• Arbuda Parvata (Mount Abu)
• Acaleśvara
• Śiva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa elevates certain kṣetras as uniquely potent: darśana of the Lord at such a place is proclaimed as a destroyer of sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda Parvata and the shrine of Acaleśvara (Śiva) are explicitly glorified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (beholding) and the act of approaching/ascending the sacred mountain are implied as devotional observances.