Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । किं प्रमाणोऽर्बुदो नाम कस्मिन्देशे व्यवस्थितः । कथं वासिष्ठमाहात्म्यात्प्रथितो धरणीतले

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kiṃ pramāṇo'rbudo nāma kasmindeśe vyavasthitaḥ | kathaṃ vāsiṣṭhamāhātmyātprathito dharaṇītale

Translation

ഋഷിമാർ പറഞ്ഞു—‘അർബുദ’ എന്ന സ്ഥലത്തിന്റെ അളവും വ്യാപ്തിയും എത്ര? അത് ഏത് ദേശത്തിലാണ് സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നത്? വസിഷ്ഠന്റെ മഹാത്മ്യം മൂലം അത് ഭൂമിയിൽ എങ്ങനെ പ്രസിദ്ധമായി?

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Vishaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (singular); प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• प्रमाणः: measure, extent
• प्रमाणः: Prashna-vishaya (Predicate/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• अर्बुदः: Arbuda
• अर्बुदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• नाम: by name, called
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), नामार्थक-निपात (particle meaning 'called')

• कस्मिन्: in which
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular); प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• देशे: region, country
• देशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• व्यवस्थितः: situated, established
• व्यवस्थितः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), प्रश्नवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• वासिष्ठमाहात्म्यात्: from (its) Vasiṣṭha-related greatness
• वासिष्ठमाहात्म्यात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (singular)

• प्रथितः: renowned, famous
• प्रथितः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + था (धातु) → प्रथित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• धरणीतले: on the surface of the earth
• धरणीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Ṛṣis

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (questioned) → Ṛṣis (to be instructed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages respectfully questioning the narrator; behind them a faint outline of a mountain and a compass-like motif indicating ‘measure’ and ‘direction’, signaling the start of a geographic-cum-mythic exposition.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Arbuda
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True understanding of a tīrtha includes its geography, its spiritual lineage, and the sage-power that established its fame.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda, whose greatness is linked to Vasiṣṭha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse frames questions to elicit the māhātmya narrative.