Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

ऊधः पृथिव्या देशोऽयं यो गिरेश्चार्णवांतरे । तत्र गत्वा महत्पुण्यमवाप्य भवभक्तितः

Transliteration

ūdhaḥ pṛthivyā deśo'yaṃ yo gireścārṇavāṃtare | tatra gatvā mahatpuṇyamavāpya bhavabhaktitaḥ

Translation

हा प्रदेश पृथ्वीच्या ‘ऊध’सारखा आहे, जो पर्वत व समुद्र यांच्या मध्ये आहे. तेथे जाऊन भव (शिव) भक्तीने महान पुण्य मिळते।

Word by Word

• ऊधः: udder; (metaph.) source/nourishing part
• ऊधः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• पृथिव्याः: of the earth
• पृथिव्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• देशः: region
• देशः: Karta (Appositive/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Demonstrative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• यः: which
• यः: Karta (Subject of relative clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• गिरेः: of the mountain
• गिरेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अर्णव-अन्तरे: in the midst of the ocean
• अर्णव-अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: अर्णवस्य अन्तरम्; स्थानवाचक

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; धातु: गम्; अर्थ: ‘having gone’

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पुण्य-विशेषण)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• अवाप्य: having obtained
• अवाप्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; धातु: आप्, उपसर्ग: अव; अर्थ: ‘having obtained’

• भवभक्तितः: through devotion to Bhava (Śiva)
• भवभक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/means)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: भवस्य भक्तिः; ‘-तः’ = ablative adverbial ‘from/by means of’

Speaker

Sūta (narration) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-associated kṣetra between giri and arṇava (as described)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic map-like vista: a mountain on one side, the ocean on the other, and between them a verdant sacred tract glowing like a ‘nourishing udder’; pilgrims move through it chanting Śiva’s names.

Characters & Entities

• Bhava (Śiva)
• Arbudācala (contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred landscapes nourish beings like an udder; pilgrimage joined with Śiva-bhakti yields great puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda region (Arbudācala and its surrounding sacred zone) is being praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tatra gatvā—undertaking pilgrimage to the place—and cultivating bhakti toward Bhava (Śiva).