Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

आराधयध्वमेकांते यया व्याप्तमिदं जगत् । सा तुष्टा वै वधार्थं तु महिषस्य दुरात्मनः

Transliteration

ārādhayadhvamekāṃte yayā vyāptamidaṃ jagat | sā tuṣṭā vai vadhārthaṃ tu mahiṣasya durātmanaḥ

Translation

‘تنہائی میں اُسی کی آرادھنا کرو جس سے یہ سارا جگت معمور ہے۔ جب وہ راضی ہوگی تو وہ بدباطن مہیش (دیو) کے وध کے لیے ہی (کارفرما) ہوگی۔’

Word by Word

• आराधयध्वम्: worship; propitiate
• आराधयध्वम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपदम्

• एकान्ते: in solitude; in seclusion
• एकान्ते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• यया: by whom/which (f.)
• यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्याप्तम्: pervaded
• व्याप्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• जगत्: world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• तुष्टा: pleased
• तुष्टा: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphatic)

• वधार्थम्: for (his) killing
• वधार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'for the purpose of killing'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/contrastive)

• महिषस्य: of the buffalo(-demon)
• महिषस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दुरात्मनः: of the wicked-souled
• दुरात्मनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (dur + ātman: 'evil-souled'); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A secluded mountain grove: devas in quiet meditation before a simple altar; the cosmos subtly reflected in Devī’s aura to show her pervasion; the shadow of Mahīṣa as a looming threat destined to be cut down.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (pervading Śakti)
• Mahīṣa (asura)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The all-pervading Divine is best approached through focused, inward devotion; Her grace becomes the instrument of dharma’s triumph over evil.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains Mount Arbuda, implied as a suitable ekānta-sthāna (place for secluded worship) for Devi-sādhana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ekānta ārādhana—solitary, concentrated worship of Devī—is prescribed to obtain Her favor.