Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

अथ सर्वे नृपश्रेष्ठ देवास्तत्र समागताः । ऊचुर्गत्वाऽर्बुदं तत्र श्रीमातां परमे श्वरीम्

Transliteration

atha sarve nṛpaśreṣṭha devāstatra samāgatāḥ | ūcurgatvā'rbudaṃ tatra śrīmātāṃ parame śvarīm

Translation

അപ്പോൾ, ഹേ നൃപശ്രേഷ്ഠാ, എല്ലാ ദേവന്മാരും അവിടെ ഒന്നിച്ചു കൂടി. അർബുദത്തിലേക്ക് ചെന്നു അവിടെ ശ്രീമാതാ പരമേശ്വരിയെ അഭിസംബോധന ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भार्थक/अनन्तरार्थक (indeclinable; then/now)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative plural; adjective)

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः’ (Masculine, Vocative singular; genitive tatpurusha)

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative plural)

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

• समागताः: assembled / came together
• समागताः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘समागत’ = having come/assembled (Past participle; Masculine nominative plural)

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

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having gone’ (Absolutive)

• अर्बुदम्: to Arbuda (mountain/place)
• अर्बुदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (indeclinable; there)

• श्रीमाताम्: the auspicious Mother
• श्रीमाताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + माता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘श्रीरूपा माता’ (Feminine, Accusative singular; appositional compound)

• परमेश्वरीम्: the Supreme Goddess
• परमेश्वरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमा + ईश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘परमा ईश्वरी’ (Feminine, Accusative singular)

Speaker

Pulastya (narrator) (deduced from nearby 'Pulastya uvāca')

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-Śrī Mātā-sthāna

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa-sattama (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand assembly of devas traveling to Arbuda—Indra, Agni, Varuṇa, Vāyu and others—arriving at a luminous Devī shrine on the mountain and beginning their address to Śrī Mātā.

Characters & Entities

• devas
• Arbuda
• Śrī Mātā
• Parameśvarī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When cosmic balance is threatened, even the gods seek refuge in the Supreme Mother, affirming the Goddess as the ultimate protector of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda (Mount Arbuda/Mount Abu region) is explicitly named as the destination where the Goddess is approached.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse emphasizes śaraṇāgati (seeking refuge) by approaching the Goddess at Arbuda.