Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

नारुद्रः पूजयेद्रुद्रं भक्तरूपस्य यो हरः । रुद्ररूपममुं हत्वा कीदृशं जन्मनो भवेत्

Transliteration

nārudraḥ pūjayedrudraṃ bhaktarūpasya yo haraḥ | rudrarūpamamuṃ hatvā kīdṛśaṃ janmano bhavet

Translation

যে রুদ্র নয়, সে কীভাবে রুদ্রের পূজা করবে—যখন স্বয়ং হর ভক্তরূপ ধারণ করেছেন? এই রুদ্ররূপধারীকে বধ করলে জন্মান্তরে কী গতি হবে?

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपातः (negation particle)

• अरुद्रः: one who is not Rudra
• अरुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; नञ्-समासवत् नकारार्थः (one who is not Rudra)

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकारः (Potential/Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम् (3rd sg optative)

• रुद्रम्: Rudra
• रुद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम् (Accusative singular)

• भक्तरूपस्य: of (one) in the form of a devotee
• भक्तरूपस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः: भक्तस्य रूपम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Relative pronoun, nom. sg.)

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

• रुद्ररूपम्: the form of Rudra
• रुद्ररूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Accusative singular); समासः: रुद्रस्य रूपम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अमुम्: that one (him)
• अमुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Accusative singular pronoun)

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भावकृदन्तम् (Gerund/Absolutive)

• कीदृशम्: what kind of
• कीदृशम्: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक-विशेषणम् (interrogative adjective)

• जन्मनः: of birth
• जन्मनः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम् (Genitive singular)

• भवेत्: would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकारः (Potential/Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम् (3rd sg optative)

Speaker

Tāraka (implied, continuing the battle-dialogue context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied interlocutor within battlefield dialogue (Skanda/Vāsudeva context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative pause amid battle: the speaker questions the morality of slaying one who bears Rudra’s form as a devotee; the background dims, focusing on faces—concern, restraint, and the looming shadow of karmic consequence.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Hara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Harming a true devotee of Rudra is spiritually perilous; devotion is to be revered as a manifestation of the Lord’s presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on dharma regarding Rudra and His devotees.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes ethical restraint and reverence toward Rudra-bhaktas.