Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

चैत्रशुक्लचतुर्द्दश्यामहमत्रार्बुदे सदा । अहोरात्रे वसिष्यामि सुगुप्ता गिरिगह्वरे

Transliteration

caitraśuklacaturddaśyāmahamatrārbude sadā | ahorātre vasiṣyāmi suguptā girigahvare

Translation

ਚੈਤਰ ਮਾਸ ਦੀ ਸ਼ੁਕਲ ਪੱਖ ਦੀ ਚੌਦਵੀਂ ਨੂੰ ਮੈਂ ਇੱਥੇ ਅਰਬੁਦ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਦਾ ਰਹਾਂਗਾ; ਦਿਨ ਰਾਤ ਪਹਾੜ ਦੀਆਂ ਗੁਫ਼ਾਵਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੁਚੱਜੀ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਗੁਪਤ ਵੱਸਾਂਗਾ।

Word by Word

• चैत्र: (of) Caitra (month)
• चैत्र: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (month-name as qualifier)

• शुक्ल: bright (fortnight)
• शुक्ल: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (fortnight qualifier)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (lunar day)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (चैत्र+शुक्ल+चतुर्दशी) इति समस्तकालवाचक-समूह

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• अर्बुदे: at Arbuda (mountain/place)
• अर्बुदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (स्थलनाम), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अहोरात्रे: day and night
• अहोरात्रे: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक) + रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (day and night); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन/एकवचन-रूपे (locative ‘in day and night’), प्रायः सप्तमी-द्विवचन ‘अहोरात्रयोः’ अर्थे

• वसिष्यामि: I will dwell
• वसिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सुगुप्ता: well-protected/secure
• सुगुप्ता: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग) + गुप्त (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अहम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण (speaker as feminine)

• गिरि: mountain
• गिरि: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• गह्वरे: in the cave/cleft
• गह्वरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गह्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (गिरि+गह्वरे) इति तत्पुरुष-समासार्थे (in the mountain-cave)

Speaker

Devī (the Goddess associated with the Pādukās)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moonlit mountain cave at Arbuda; on Caitra bright 14th, a concealed divine presence is suggested by radiance within the cave while pilgrims wait with lamps outside.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Arbuda (Mount Abu)
• Caitra-śukla-caturdaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places have sacred times; aligning pilgrimage and worship with the auspicious tithi intensifies spiritual access (darśana).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda (Mount Abu), especially its hidden mountain caverns associated with the Devī’s presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observing/approaching the site on Caitra bright fortnight Caturdaśī for worship and darśana.