Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

तस्मात्कञ्चिन्नगश्रेष्ठं तत्र प्रेषय भूधरम् । येन तत्पूर्यते श्वभ्रं भृशं प्रेषय तादृशम्

Transliteration

tasmātkañcinnagaśreṣṭhaṃ tatra preṣaya bhūdharam | yena tatpūryate śvabhraṃ bhṛśaṃ preṣaya tādṛśam

Translation

ଏହେତୁ, ହେ ନଗଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ସେଠାକୁ ଏକ ପର୍ବତଖଣ୍ଡ ପଠାନ୍ତୁ, ଯାହାଦ୍ୱାରା ସେ ଗର୍ତ୍ତ ପୂରିଯାଉ। ଏପରି ଶକ୍ତିଶାଳୀ ଭୂଧରକୁ ଶୀଘ୍ର ପଠାନ୍ତୁ।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-रूपम्; पञ्चमी-एकवचन (Ablative singular) अर्थे ‘तस्मात्’ = ‘therefore/from that’ इति; अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत् (discourse connective)

• कञ्चित्: some, a certain
• कञ्चित्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (निपात)
• Form: अनिश्चित-विशेषणम् (indefinite); द्वितीया-एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (Accusative singular masculine)

• नगश्रेष्ठम्: the best mountain
• नगश्रेष्ठम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नग (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नगानां श्रेष्ठः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative singular masculine)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb)

• प्रेषय: send
• प्रेषय: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-इष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• भूधरम्: a mountain
• भूधरम्: Karma (Object; apposition to नगश्रेष्ठम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Instrumental singular neuter)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative singular neuter); ‘श्वभ्रम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पूर्यते: is filled
• पूर्यते: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूर् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

• श्वभ्रम्: pit, chasm
• श्वभ्रम्: Karman (Patient/Subject in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वभ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative singular); कर्मणि-क्रियायाः कर्तृस्थानी (patient/subject of passive)

• भृशम्: greatly, very much
• भृशम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्ययम् (adverb)

• प्रेषय: send
• प्रेषय: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-इष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तादृशम्: such (of that kind)
• तादृशम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative singular); ‘भूधरम्/नगश्रेष्ठम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda—Śvabhra (the chasm site)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Himavān

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha issues a precise request: dispatch a massive mountain fragment to fill the chasm; the scene shows the pit and an approaching rock-mass or mountain-spirit responding.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Himavān
• śvabhra
• bhūdhara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes safeguarding holy environments through effective measures, not merely intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sanctity of the āśrama-region in Arbuda-khaṇḍa is reinforced by the effort to remove a peril from its vicinity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an appeal for protective action to restore safety.