Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

सोऽहमाराधयिष्यामि तथैव चतुराननम् । कृत्वाऽश्रमपदं रम्यमर्बुदे पर्वतोत्तमे

Transliteration

so'hamārādhayiṣyāmi tathaiva caturānanam | kṛtvā'śramapadaṃ ramyamarbude parvatottame

Translation

“ข้าจักบูชาพระจตุรานนพรหมาองค์เดิมนั้น และจะตั้งอาศรมอันรื่นรมย์บนเขาอรพุทะ ผู้ประเสริฐแห่งภูผา แล้วอุทิศตนในการสักการะภักดีต่อพระองค์”

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• आराधयिष्यामि: I will worship/propitiate
• आराधयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: राध् (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/so')

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• चतुराननम्: the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• चतुराननम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (चत्वारि आननानि यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• आश्रमपदम्: a hermitage-site
• आश्रमपदम्: Karma (Object of कृत्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आश्रमस्य पदम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रम्यम्: beautiful
• रम्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to आश्रमपदम्)

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

• पर्वतोत्तमे: on the best of mountains
• पर्वतोत्तमे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (उत्तमः पर्वतः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Bālaka (the boy)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (frame); within story: boy speaking to father

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The boy vows to worship four-faced Brahmā and to establish a beautiful hermitage on Arbuda, the supreme mountain—an image of sacred settlement and disciplined devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Caturānana)
• Arbuda (Mount Abu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A holy place becomes spiritually potent through sustained worship and disciplined life; devotion is anchored in sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda—celebrated as ‘parvatottama’ (the best of mountains)—is directly praised as a fit seat for āśrama and worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upāsanā/ārādhanā of Brahmā and the founding of an āśrama (hermitage) are indicated as the religious program.