Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

गंगाद्वारे सुरश्रेष्ठो हिमवन्ते तु शंकरः । देहिकायां स्रुचाहस्तः पद्महस्तस्तथाऽर्बुदे

Transliteration

gaṃgādvāre suraśreṣṭho himavante tu śaṃkaraḥ | dehikāyāṃ srucāhastaḥ padmahastastathā'rbude

Translation

ഗംഗാദ്വാരത്തിൽ ഞാൻ ദേവശ്രേഷ്ഠൻ; ഹിമവന്തത്തിൽ ഞാൻ ശങ്കരൻ. ദേഹികയിൽ ഞാൻ സ്രുചാഹസ്തൻ (കരണ്ടി-ധാരി); അർബുദത്തിൽ ഞാൻ പദ്മഹസ്തൻ (താമര-ധാരി).

Word by Word

• गंगाद्वारे: at Gaṅgādvāra (Haridvāra)
• गंगाद्वारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गाद्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/स्थाननाम, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—गङ्गायाः द्वारम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• सुरश्रेष्ठः: best of the gods
• सुरश्रेष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरश्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—सुराणां श्रेष्ठः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• हिमवन्ते: in Himavat (Himalaya)
• हिमवन्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्थाननाम, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara
• शंकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—शं करोति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• देहिकायां: in Dehikā (place)
• देहिकायां: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/स्थाननाम, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्रुचाहस्तः: one whose hand holds a ladle
• स्रुचाहस्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रुचा + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—स्रुचा (करण-तृतीया) हस्तः यस्य (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपद)

• पद्महस्तः: lotus-handed
• पद्महस्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—पद्मं हस्ते यस्य (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• अर्बुदे: in Arbuda (Mount Abu)
• अर्बुदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/स्थाननाम, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgādvāra / Himavant / Dehikā / Arbuda

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fourfold pilgrimage tableau: Haridwar ghats with Gaṅgā, snowy Himavant with Śaṅkara, a ritual scene with a deity holding a ladle (sruva/sruc) at Dehikā, and Mount Abu’s rocky peak with a lotus-bearing form at Arbuda.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgādvāra
• Himavant
• Arbuda
• Suraśreṣṭha
• Śaṅkara
• Srucāhasta
• Padmahasta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord sanctifies both natural gateways (Gaṅgā, Himalaya) and ritual culture (yajña-symbolized by the ladle), uniting pilgrimage and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgādvāra, Himavant, Dehikā, and Arbuda are named as places of special divine presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit instruction is given, but “srucā-hasta” evokes yajña (sacrificial worship) as a dharmic frame for the kṣetra.