Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

एवं स निश्चयं कृत्वा गतोऽर्बुदमथाचलम् । भूमे विवरमासाद्य तपस्तेपे सुदारुणम्

Transliteration

evaṃ sa niścayaṃ kṛtvā gato'rbudamathācalam | bhūme vivaramāsādya tapastepe sudāruṇam

Translation

असा निश्चय करून तो अर्बुद पर्वतावर गेला. भूमीतील एक विवर मिळताच त्याने अत्यंत कठोर तप केले.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निश्चयम्: a resolve, decision
• निश्चयम्: Karma (Object of making)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), धातु: कृ

• गतः: went, having gone
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे—'gone'

• अर्बुदम्: Arbuda (mountain/place)
• अर्बुदम्: Karma (Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गमनस्य कर्म/गन्तव्य

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरबोधक-अव्यय (then/now)

• अचलम्: the mountain
• अचलम्: Karma (Apposition to destination)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्बुदस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन (mountain)

• भूमे: of the ground
• भूमे: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; 'of the earth/ground'

• विवरम्: a cave, opening
• विवरम्: Karma (Object of reaching)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), धातु: सद्; अर्थः—प्राप्य/उपगम्य

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तेपे: he performed (penance)
• तेपे: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• सुदारुणम्: very severe
• सुदारुणम्: Karma (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तपः); समासः—कर्मधारय (सु-दारुणम्)

Speaker

Pulastya (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (Arbudācala)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone ascetic (Śukra) approaches Arbuda mountain; he finds a cleft in the earth like a dark cave-mouth and begins fierce austerities—matted hair, minimal garments, steady posture, surrounded by rugged rocks and sparse forest.

Characters & Entities

• Arbuda (mountain)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Firm resolve and intense tapas at a sacred place are depicted as the pathway to divine attainment and the founding of holy sites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda mountain itself is foregrounded as a potent sacred landscape, connected to the later glory of Śukreśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) undertaken at a specific sacred spot (a fissure/cave in the earth) is described.