Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

एकदा फलमादातुं भ्रममाणाऽर्बुदाचले । माघशुक्लतृतीयायां पतिता गिरिनिर्झरे

Transliteration

ekadā phalamādātuṃ bhramamāṇā'rbudācale | māghaśuklatṛtīyāyāṃ patitā girinirjhare

Translation

ఒకసారి ఫలాలు ఏరుకొనుటకు అర్బుదాచలమున తిరుగుచుండగా, మాఘ శుక్ల తృతీయ నాడు ఆమె పర్వత నిర్ఝరములో పడిపోయింది।

Word by Word

• एकदा: once
• एकदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — indeclinable ‘once’

• फलम्: fruit
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — accusative singular

• आदातुम्: to take, to pick up
• आदातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √दा (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive) — ‘to take’

• भ्रममाणा: wandering
• भ्रममाणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), आत्मनेपदी; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — present participle ‘wandering’

• अर्बुदाचले: on Mount Arbuda
• अर्बुदाचले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद + अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — locative singular; (अर्बुदस्य अचलः)

• माघशुक्लतृतीयायाम्: on the third (lunar day) of the bright fortnight of Māgha
• माघशुक्लतृतीयायाम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ + शुक्ल + तृतीया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — locative singular; (माघस्य शुक्लपक्षस्य तृतीया)

• पतिता: fell
• पतिता: Kriya (Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पतित (√पत् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — past participle; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्रियार्थे ‘fell’

• गिरिनिर्झरे: in a mountain waterfall
• गिरिनिर्झरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि + निर्झर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — locative singular; (गिरेः निर्झरः)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-tīrtha (mountain springs of Arbudācala)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king addressed as ‘mahārāja’

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forested sacred mountain with a narrow cascade; a woman gathering fruit slips and falls into a clear mountain rivulet under bright Māgha skies, suggesting destiny turning at a tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Arbuda (mountain)
• Māgha śukla tṛtīyā
• giri-nirjhara (mountain stream)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even an accidental contact with sanctified waters at an auspicious time can become the turning point in a tīrtha’s saving narrative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda mountain sacred landscape, leading into the Rūpatīrtha-associated waters/stream.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse highlights auspicious calendrical timing (Māgha śukla tṛtīyā) and contact with sacred water (a snāna motif), though not yet as an explicit injunction.