Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

नाम्ने रोदिमि मे स्रष्टुर्नाम देहि पितामह । रोदनाद्रुद्र इत्याख्यां समाया डिंभको लभत्

Transliteration

nāmne rodimi me sraṣṭurnāma dehi pitāmaha | rodanādrudra ityākhyāṃ samāyā ḍiṃbhako labhat

Translation

«إنما أبكي طلبًا لاسم—يا خالقَ الخلق، يا بيتامها، امنحني اسمًا.» وبسبب ذلك البكاء نال الرضيع لقب «رودرا».

Word by Word

• नाम्ने: for (a) name
• नाम्ने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; dative ‘for a name’

• रोदिमि: I cry
• रोदिमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रुद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; I cry

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; enclitic genitive ‘my’

• स्रष्टुः: of the creator
• स्रष्टुः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक; √सृज् (धातु) तृच् → स्रष्टृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; genitive ‘of the creator’

• नाम: a name
• नाम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; object of देहि

• देहि: give
• देहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; give

• पितामह: O Grandfather
• पितामह: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• रोदनात्: from (his) crying
• रोदनात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोदन (प्रातिपदिक; √रुद् + अन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5/अपादान), एकवचन; ablative ‘from crying’

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; name assigned

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणार्थक अव्यय; quotative

• आख्याम्: the name/appellation
• आख्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘appellation/name’

• समाय: having obtained
• समाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + √इ (धातु) + क्त्वा (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; having obtained/received

• डिंभकः: the infant
• डिंभकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: डिंभक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘infant’

• लभत्: obtained
• लभत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; obtained

Speaker

Infant Rudra (reported speech) and Narrator (naming etymology)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The infant asks for a name; Brahmā bestows it; the syllables ‘Rudra’ seem to resonate in the air as a mantra, with subtle cosmic vibration imagery.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Rudra
• Śiva (as Rudra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A divine name is not mere label but revelation of function and mystery; “Rudra” is presented as a sacred designation emerging from purposeful līlā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is doctrinal/etymological within Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s larger glorification of Kāśī, without naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on nāma (sacred naming) and meaning.