Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । स कृत्वा स्वाश्रमं तत्र वसिष्ठो भगवान्मुनिः । तत्र शंभोर्निवासाय तपस्तेपे सुदारुणम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | sa kṛtvā svāśramaṃ tatra vasiṣṭho bhagavānmuniḥ | tatra śaṃbhornivāsāya tapastepe sudāruṇam

Translation

苏多（Sūta）说道：在彼处，具福德的圣仙婆悉吒建立了自己的道场（āśrama）；为使商婆（Śambhu，即湿婆）安住其间，他修行了极其严峻的苦行。

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made/established
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having made/done)

• स्वाश्रमम्: his own hermitage
• स्वाश्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य आश्रमः = his own hermitage)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (there)

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• भगवान्: venerable/divine
• भगवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (honorific adjective)

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; वसिष्ठस्य विशेष्य (appositional)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (there)

• शंभोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• निवासाय: for (his) dwelling
• निवासाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ दत्तिव (for the purpose of residence)

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

• तेपे: performed (austerity)
• तेपे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• सुदारुणम्: very severe
• सुदारुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (तपः-विशेषण)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-parvata (Arbuda-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya assembly implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene Himalayan-style hermitage on Arbuda’s slopes: Vasiṣṭha establishing an āśrama with kuśa-grass, yajña-kuṇḍa, and rudrākṣa trees; the mood is quiet resolve as he begins fierce tapas for Śambhu’s residence.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Vasiṣṭha
• Śambhu (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A holy place is sanctified through tapas and intent: the sage’s austerity invites divine presence for the welfare of the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda-region setting where Vasiṣṭha establishes his āśrama and invokes Śiva’s residence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) undertaken with the purpose of establishing Śiva’s abiding presence.