Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

आराधयध्वमेकांते यया व्याप्तमिदं जगत् । सा तुष्टा वै वधार्थं तु महिषस्य दुरात्मनः

Transliteration

ārādhayadhvamekāṃte yayā vyāptamidaṃ jagat | sā tuṣṭā vai vadhārthaṃ tu mahiṣasya durātmanaḥ

Translation

ഏകാന്തത്തിൽ അവളെയേ ആരാധിക്കുവിൻ; അവളാൽ ഈ സമസ്ത ജഗത്ത് വ്യാപിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു. അവൾ പ്രസന്നയായാൽ ആ ദുഷ്ടാത്മാവായ മഹിഷന്റെ വധാർത്ഥം (പ്രവർത്തിക്കും).

Word by Word

• आराधयध्वम्: worship; propitiate
• आराधयध्वम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपदम्

• एकान्ते: in solitude; in seclusion
• एकान्ते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• यया: by whom/which (f.)
• यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्याप्तम्: pervaded
• व्याप्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• जगत्: world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तुष्टा: pleased
• तुष्टा: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphatic)

• वधार्थम्: for (his) killing
• वधार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'for the purpose of killing'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• महिषस्य: of the buffalo(-demon)
• महिषस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दुरात्मनः: of the wicked-souled
• दुरात्मनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (dur + ātman: 'evil-souled'); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A secluded mountain grove: devas in quiet meditation before a simple altar; the cosmos subtly reflected in Devī’s aura to show her pervasion; the shadow of Mahīṣa as a looming threat destined to be cut down.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (pervading Śakti)
• Mahīṣa (asura)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The all-pervading Divine is best approached through focused, inward devotion; Her grace becomes the instrument of dharma’s triumph over evil.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains Mount Arbuda, implied as a suitable ekānta-sthāna (place for secluded worship) for Devi-sādhana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ekānta ārādhana—solitary, concentrated worship of Devī—is prescribed to obtain Her favor.