Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 117

Devanagari script

आराधितः सुदुष्पारे भवे भगवतो विना । तथा नान्यो महादेवात्पतन्तं योऽभिरक्षति

Transliteration

ārādhitaḥ suduṣpāre bhave bhagavato vinā | tathā nānyo mahādevātpatantaṃ yo'bhirakṣati

Translation

ദുഷ്പാരമായ ഈ ഭവസാഗരത്തിൽ ഭഗവാനെ ഒഴികെ മറ്റാരും ആരാധ്യനല്ല; അതുപോലെ വീഴുന്നവനെ മഹാദേവനെ ഒഴികെ മറ്റാരും രക്ഷിക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• आराधितः: worshipped, propitiated
• आराधितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + राध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (नारायणः/भगवान् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• सुदुष्पारे: in the very hard-to-cross
• सुदुष्पारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुष्पार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (भवे)

• भवे: in worldly existence (saṃsāra)
• भवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• भगवतः: of the Lord
• भगवतः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/वर्जन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपपदविभक्ति-नियामक अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable: without; governs तृतीया/पञ्चमी usage in practice)

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

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात (negation particle)

• अन्यः: another (anyone else)
• अन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महादेवात्: than Mahādeva / from Mahādeva
• महादेवात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• पतन्तम्: one who is falling
• पतन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मविशेषण (यम्)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• अभिरक्षति: protects
• अभिरक्षति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee slipping in a stormy ocean symbolizing saṃsāra; above, Bhagavān receives worship, while Mahādeva extends a protecting hand—two divine presences forming a single refuge over the pilgrim.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavān
• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• saṃsāra (bhava)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In the perilous flow of saṃsāra, divine refuge is essential; Mahādeva is praised as the supreme protector of the spiritually slipping.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya, framing the place as a refuge-oriented sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhana (devotional worship/propitiation) of the Lord—implying sustained devotion as the means to protection and crossing bhava.