Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

देवदारुवने पुण्य ऋषयस्तपसा युताः । निवसंति वरारोहे शतशोथ सहस्रशः

Transliteration

devadāruvane puṇya ṛṣayastapasā yutāḥ | nivasaṃti varārohe śataśotha sahasraśaḥ

Translation

پاک دیودارو کے جنگل میں، اے خوش اندام (باریک کمر والی)، تپسیا سے آراستہ رِشی بستے ہیں—سینکڑوں نہیں بلکہ ہزاروں کی تعداد میں۔

Word by Word

• devadāruvane: in the deodar forest
• devadāruvane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devadāru-vana (प्रातिपदिक; देवदारु + वन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of place)

• puṇyāḥ: holy
• puṇyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ṛṣayaḥ)

• ṛṣayaḥ: sages
• ṛṣayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्तृपद

• tapasā: with austerity
• tapasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; साधन/हेतु (instrument/means)

• yutāḥ: endowed (with)
• yutāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuj (धातु) + ta (क्त, क्तप्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (ṛṣayaḥ)

• nivasantī: they dwell
• nivasantī: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-vas (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• varārohe: O fair-hipped one
• varārohe: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varārohā (प्रातिपदिक; वर + आरोहा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधनपद

• śataśaḥ: by hundreds
• śataśaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śataśas (अव्ययप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of number: 'by hundreds')

• atha: then/also
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/अनुक्रमसूचक (particle: then/also)

• sahasraśaḥ: by thousands
• sahasraśaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasraśas (अव्ययप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of number: 'by thousands')

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast sacred forest of devadāru trees with numerous hermitages; hundreds and thousands of sages in matted hair and bark garments performing tapas—fire altars, meditation, japa, and study.

Characters & Entities

• Devadāruvana
• Ṛṣis
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy landscapes are defined by the presence of tapas and ṛṣi communities, making the region spiritually potent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Devadāruvana, presented as a sanctified forest setting within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse establishes the sacred setting (a rishi-filled forest) that supports later tīrtha practices.