Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ततो देवगणाः सर्वे गत्वाऽर्बुदमथाचलम् । तपस्तेपुर्वधार्थाय शुंभस्य जगतीपते । देवीमाराधयामासुर्व्यक्तरूपां सुरेश्वरीम्

Transliteration

tato devagaṇāḥ sarve gatvā'rbudamathācalam | tapastepurvadhārthāya śuṃbhasya jagatīpate | devīmārādhayāmāsurvyaktarūpāṃ sureśvarīm

Translation

于是诸天众神齐赴阿尔布达山。为求诛灭舒姆婆这位“世间之主”，他们修行苦行，礼敬那以显现之身在前的女神——诸天之主宰。

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तरार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: then)

• देवगणाः: groups of gods
• देवगणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): having gone

• अर्बुदम्: Arbuda (mountain/place)
• अर्बुदम्: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (स्थलनाम), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse-connector (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (particle: then/now)

• अचलम्: the mountain
• अचलम्: Karma (Apposition to destination/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); पर्वतवाचक

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तेपुः: performed (austerities)
• तेपुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• वधार्थाय: for the purpose of slaying
• वधार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular); प्रयोजनार्थ (for the purpose of killing)

• शुंभस्य: of Śumbha
• शुंभस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुंभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• जगतीपते: O lord of the world
• जगतीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः: जगत्याः पतिः

• देवीम्: the Goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आराधयामासुः: worshipped
• आराधयामासुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद; देशी-प्रयोगः (periphrastic perfect sense: they worshipped)

• व्यक्तरूपाम्: of manifest form
• व्यक्तरूपाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); देवीम् विशेषयति

• सुरेश्वरीम्: the queen/lady of the gods
• सुरेश्वरीम्: Apposition (Samanadhikarana/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः: सुराणाम् ईश्वरी

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame assumed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hosts of devas ascend Arbuda’s slopes, gather at a sacred spot, and perform austerities; the Goddess is worshipped as the manifest sovereign of the devas.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Arbuda (Mount Abu)
• Śumbha
• Devī (Sureśvarī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is overpowered, the devas themselves seek refuge in Devī through tapas and worship—divine grace arises from sincere austerity and surrender.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mount Arbuda (Arbuda/Arbudācala, associated with the Arbuda region—later Mount Abu) as a place where powerful Devī-upāsanā bears fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) and ārādhana (propitiatory worship) of the manifest Goddess for the restoration of cosmic order.