Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

अचले तु मयात्रैव स्थातव्यं नात्र संशयः । ततः कालेन महता वसतस्तस्य तत्र च

Transliteration

acale tu mayātraiva sthātavyaṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ | tataḥ kālena mahatā vasatastasya tatra ca

Translation

“แต่บนภูเขาอันมั่นคงนี้ เราจักต้องประทับอยู่ ณ ที่นี้แน่นอน—หาใช่มีข้อสงสัยไม่” ครั้นกาลเวลายาวนานล่วงไป เมื่อพระองค์ยังประทับอยู่ที่นั่น…

Word by Word

• अचले: on/in the mountain (Achala)
• अचले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी) एकवचनम्; स्थानवाचकः

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपातः

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया) एकवचनम्

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

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपातः (emphatic particle)

• स्थातव्यम्: must stay
• स्थातव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तम् (gerundive/obligatory) नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; अर्थः ‘स्थातुम् अर्हम्/कर्तव्यम्’

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation)

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

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचनम्

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sequence/Source
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/क्रमवाचक-अव्ययम् (from there/thereafter)

• कालेन: with time / in course of time
• कालेन: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया) एकवचनम्; काल-करणम्

• महता: great/long
• महता: Modifier (of kālena)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया) एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् ‘कालेन’ इत्यस्य

• वसतः: of (him) dwelling
• वसतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्तम् (present active participle) षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) एकवचनम्; ‘वसतस्’ = ‘of (him) dwelling’

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (there)

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (Śiva’s ācala-vāsa)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yayāti

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva declares his certainty to remain on the mountain; time passes in a montage—changing seasons over Arbuda while a shrine lamp remains steady, symbolizing unbroken presence.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Arbuda (Acala/Acalā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s steadfast abiding sanctifies the place; the divine vow becomes a perpetual refuge for devotees in the sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mount Arbuda, envisioned as ‘Acala’—the firm sacred mountain where Śiva remains.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse establishes the theological basis for pilgrimage—approaching a place where the Lord ‘stays’ by vow.