Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

श्रीपर्वतः स्मृतश्चैको द्वितीयश्चार्बुदस्तथा । तृतीयो रैवताख्योऽत्र विख्यातः पर्वतोत्तमाः

Transliteration

śrīparvataḥ smṛtaścaiko dvitīyaścārbudastathā | tṛtīyo raivatākhyo'tra vikhyātaḥ parvatottamāḥ

Translation

ศรีปัรวตะถูกจดจำว่าเป็นแห่งแรก; อรพุทะ (ภูเขาอาบู) เป็นแห่งที่สอง; และที่นี่แห่งที่สามชื่อ ไรวตะ อันเลื่องชื่อ—โอผู้ประเสริฐในหมู่ขุนเขา

Word by Word

• श्रीपर्वतः: Śrīparvata (name of a mountain)
• श्रीपर्वतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्मृतः: is called/remembered
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is called/remembered’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एकः: one/first
• एकः: Visheshana (Adjective of ‘श्रीपर्वतः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• द्वितीयः: the second
• द्वितीयः: Visheshana (Adjective of ‘अर्बुदः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (ordinal)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अर्बुदः: Arbuda (name of a mountain)
• अर्बुदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘thus/also’

• तृतीयः: the third
• तृतीयः: Visheshana (Adjective of implied ‘पर्वतः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (ordinal)

• रैवताख्यः: named Raivata
• रैवताख्यः: Visheshana (Adjective of implied ‘पर्वतः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रैवत (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘आख्य’ = ‘named/called’

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

• विख्यातः: renowned
• विख्यातः: Visheshana (Adjective of implied ‘पर्वतः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्यात (प्रातिपदिक) with वि- (उपसर्ग) ← ख्या (धातु) → विख्यात (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पर्वतोत्तमाः: O best of mountains (O excellent ones)
• पर्वतोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Vocative/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रथमा (addressing)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīparvata–Arbuda–Raivata mountain triad

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: parvatoत्तamāḥ (vocative; stylistic address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping western landscape with three sacred mountains labeled; pilgrims ascending paths, distant temples on ridges, and a sage pointing out the triad to listeners.

Characters & Entities

• Śrīparvata
• Arbuda (Mount Ābū)
• Raivata Parvata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mountains are revered as living tīrthas—elevated abodes where spiritual striving and divine presence are intensified.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Three sacred mountains: Śrīparvata, Arbuda (Ābū), and Raivata.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual in this verse; it enumerates the foremost mountains that are treated as tīrtha landscapes.