Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

चिरं विचार्य तमृषिमिदमाह नगोत्तमः । क उपायो नगानां वै तत्र गंतुं वदस्व मे

Transliteration

ciraṃ vicārya tamṛṣimidamāha nagottamaḥ | ka upāyo nagānāṃ vai tatra gaṃtuṃ vadasva me

Translation

久经思量后，群山之最对那位圣仙说道：“诸山欲往彼处，有何方便之道？请为我宣说。”

Word by Word

• चिरम्: for a long time
• चिरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• विचार्य: having reflected
• विचार्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + चर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ऋषिम्: the sage
• ऋषिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इदम्: this (speech)
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आह: said
• आह: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• नगोत्तमः: the best of mountains
• नगोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नग + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नगानाम् उत्तमः)

• कः: what? which?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• उपायः: means, method
• उपायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नगानाम्: of the mountains
• नगानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• गन्तुम्: to go
• गन्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), प्रयोजनार्थक

• वदस्व: tell (me)
• वदस्व: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन रूप (Genitive/Dative singular enclitic)

Speaker

Himācala (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-vivarā (contextual)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Himācala, after pondering, addresses Vasiṣṭha respectfully, asking the means by which mountains can go to that place; the sage listens, poised to instruct.

Characters & Entities

• Himācala
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeking guidance from a sage is itself dharma—humility and inquiry lead to right action.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The narrative concerns reaching and repairing the “vivara” in the Arbuda sacred setting; no named tīrtha appears in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is about asking for a practical method (upāya).