Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

आसीत्पुरा निमिर्नाम क्षत्रियः सूर्यवंशजः । वयसः परिणामे स पर्वतं चार्बुदं गतः

Transliteration

āsītpurā nimirnāma kṣatriyaḥ sūryavaṃśajaḥ | vayasaḥ pariṇāme sa parvataṃ cārbudaṃ gataḥ

Translation

往昔有一位刹帝利名为尼弥（Nimi），出自太阳王族（Sūryavaṃśa）。至晚年之时，他前往阿尔布达山（Arbuda）。

Word by Word

• āsīt: there was
• āsīt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (लङ्, imperfect/past), Parasmaipada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: Kālavācaka avyaya (कालवाचक अव्यय), adverb

• nimiḥ: Nimi
• nimiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nimi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha (Appositive marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nāma-śabda used as avyaya (नाम-निपात)

• kṣatriyaḥ: a Kṣatriya
• kṣatriyaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣatriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; apposition to nimiḥ

• sūrya-vaṃśa-jaḥ: born of the Solar lineage
• sūrya-vaṃśa-jaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक) + vaṃśa (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; tatpuruṣa: 'born in the Solar dynasty'

• vayasaḥ: of age
• vayasaḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vayas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• pariṇāme: at the maturity/decline
• pariṇāme: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pariṇāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• parvatam: mountain
• parvatam: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; destination

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (समुच्चय निपात), conjunction

• arbudam: (Mount) Arbuda
• arbudam: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arbuda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; apposition to parvatam

• gataḥ: gone, having gone
• gataḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gata (कृदन्त; √gam)
• Form: Past active participle (क्तवतु/क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate with saḥ

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda Parvata (Mount Arbuda)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpaśreṣṭha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Solar-dynasty kṣatriya, Nimi, depicted as aged yet dignified, setting out toward Arbuda’s granite heights with minimal retinue, signaling renunciation.

Characters & Entities

• Nimi
• Sūryavaṃśa (Solar dynasty)
• Arbuda (mountain)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In life’s later stage, turning toward tīrthas and sacred mountains is portrayed as a noble, dharmic transition for rulers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mount Arbuda as the sacred setting (with the chapter leading toward Jambū Tīrtha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it introduces a pilgrimage setting and character.