Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

अथाऽसौ प्रययौ शीघ्रं प्रणिपत्य विचक्षणः । अर्बुदे पर्वतश्रेष्ठे यत्र सा परमेश्वरी । प्रणम्य विनयोपेतो वाक्यमेतदुवाच ताम्

Transliteration

athā'sau prayayau śīghraṃ praṇipatya vicakṣaṇaḥ | arbude parvataśreṣṭhe yatra sā parameśvarī | praṇamya vinayopeto vākyametaduvāca tām

Translation

แล้ววิจักษณะก็ออกเดินทางโดยเร็ว ครั้นก้มกราบแล้วจึงไปยังอรพุทะ ภูผาอันประเสริฐ ที่ซึ่งพระเทวีผู้เป็นปรเมศวรีประทับอยู่ เมื่อถวายบังคมแล้ว ด้วยความนอบน้อมอ่อนน้อม เขากล่าวถ้อยคำนี้แก่นาง

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• असौ: he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रययौ: went forth
• प्रययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• प्रणिपत्य: having bowed down
• प्रणिपत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नि + पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• विचक्षणः: the discerning one
• विचक्षणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन

• अर्बुदे: on/at Arbuda (mountain)
• अर्बुदे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• पर्वतश्रेष्ठे: on the best of mountains
• पर्वतश्रेष्ठे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रेष्ठः पर्वतः)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Relative locative/स्थान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक/स्थानवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परमेश्वरी: the Supreme Goddess
• परमेश्वरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + ईश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (परमा ईश्वरी)

• प्रणम्य: having saluted
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• विनयोपेतः: endowed with humility
• विनयोपेतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनय + उपेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासः (विनयेन उपेतः = endowed with humility)

• वाक्यम्: speech/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ताम्: to her
• ताम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/सम्प्रदान/कर्म), एकवचन; (उवाच इत्यस्य कर्म—‘to her’)

Speaker

Pulastya (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Parameśvarī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vicakṣaṇa traveling swiftly through mountain paths, then prostrating before the radiant Parameśvarī in a secluded Arbuda grove/peak-shrine, speaking with practiced humility.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Vicakṣaṇa
• Arbuda
• Parameśvarī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even hostile missions adopt outward humility before divinity—true authority belongs to the Goddess in the sacred landscape.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda Parvata is highlighted as “parvataśreṣṭha,” a premier sacred mountain within the Skanda Purāṇa’s Arbuda Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit devotional conduct: praṇāma (prostration/salutation) and vinaya (humility) when approaching the deity.