Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । श्रुत्वा तद्वचनं तेषां ज्ञात्वा तं मृत्युवर्जितम् । पर्वतस्य महाशृंगं दत्त्वा तस्योपरि स्वयम्

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | śrutvā tadvacanaṃ teṣāṃ jñātvā taṃ mṛtyuvarjitam | parvatasya mahāśṛṃgaṃ dattvā tasyopari svayam

Translation

ਪੁਲਸਤ੍ਯ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ: ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੇ ਬਚਨ ਸੁਣ ਕੇ ਅਤੇ ਇਹ ਜਾਣ ਕੇ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਮੌਤ ਤੋਂ ਰਹਿਤ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਨੇ ਪਹਾੜ ਦੀ ਮਹਾਨ ਚੋਟੀ ਬਖ਼ਸ਼ੀ ਅਤੇ ਆਪ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਉਪਰ ਬੈਠ ਗਈ।

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), ‘having heard’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वचनम्)

• वचनम्: statement
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• ज्ञात्वा: having understood
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त्वा (absolutive), ‘having known/understood’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• मृत्युवर्जितम्: free from death/immune to death
• मृत्युवर्जितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत्यु-वर्‍जित (प्रातिपदिक; वर्‍जित = √वृज्/√वर्ज् क्त)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तम्); समासः—तत्पुरुष (मृत्युः वर्जितः यस्मात्)

• पर्वतस्य: of the mountain
• पर्वतस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• महाशृङ्गम्: a great peak
• महाशृङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महत् शृङ्गम्)

• दत्त्वा: having given/placed
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त्वा (absolutive), ‘having given/placing’

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• उपरि: upon/on
• उपरि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—उपसर्गसदृश/अधिकरणवाचक (adverb/preposition)

• स्वयम्: herself
• स्वयम्: Kartṛ-prayoga (Emphatic subject/कर्ता-बल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—आत्मवाचक (reflexive adverb)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Varaparvata (Arbuda)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (narādhipa; in this khanda’s frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pulastya narrates: the Goddess, acknowledged as deathless, is granted a lofty mountain-peak; she ascends and takes her seat upon the summit, transforming it into a radiant sacred throne above the forests and clouds.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Devī
• Indra and the gods (implied)
• Undying Dānava (mṛtyuvarjita)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When ordinary means fail (an ‘undying’ foe), divine strategy establishes a sacred seat that becomes a lasting refuge for the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A mountain peak associated with Varaparvata/Arbuda is introduced as the Goddess’s seat.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual instruction is stated.