Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

कृत्वोपवासं पद्मैर्य्यः पूजयेत्त्र्यंबकं नरः । स याति रुद्रसालोक्यं सेव्यमानो ऽप्सरोगणैः

Transliteration

kṛtvopavāsaṃ padmairyyaḥ pūjayettryaṃbakaṃ naraḥ | sa yāti rudrasālokyaṃ sevyamāno 'psarogaṇaiḥ

Translation

ഉപവാസം അനുഷ്ഠിച്ച് പദ്മപുഷ്പങ്ങളാൽ ത്ര്യമ്പകനെ (ശിവനെ) പൂജിക്കുന്നവൻ രുദ്രസാലോക്യം പ്രാപിച്ച് അപ്സരാഗണങ്ങൾ സേവിക്കുന്നവനാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (Gerund), ‘having done’

• उपवासम्: fasting
• उपवासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• पद्मैः: with lotuses
• पद्मैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• त्र्यम्बकम्: Tryambaka (three-eyed Śiva)
• त्र्यम्बकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + अम्बक (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य त्रयः अम्बकाः/नेत्राणि सः)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• रुद्रसालोक्यम्: Rudra’s world/communion (sālokya)
• रुद्रसालोक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + सालोक्य (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रस्य सालोक्यम्)

• सेव्यमानः: being served
• सेव्यमानः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु) → सेव्यमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्तः (शानच्/Passive present participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘being served’

• अप्सरोगणैः: by hosts of apsarases
• अप्सरोगणैः: Karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् + गण (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (अप्सरसां गणाः)

Speaker

Deductive (Arbuda Khaṇḍa narrative voice; likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (frame); Arbuda-kṣetra (section)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fasting devotee offers fresh lotuses at a Śiva shrine; the vision opens to Rudra’s radiant realm where apsarās attend the blessed soul.

Characters & Entities

• Tryambaka
• Śiva
• Rudra
• Apsarās

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fasting joined with sincere Śiva-worship (especially with pure offerings like lotus) leads to exalted spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda (Mount Abu) sacred region within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa’s Arbuda Khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting) and pūjā of Tryambaka using padma (lotus flowers).