Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

रुद्रा ऊचुः । एकादशप्रकारोऽहं तुष्टो वस्तापसोत्तमाः । बहुभक्त्यतिरेकेण व्रियतां च यथेप्सितम्

Transliteration

rudrā ūcuḥ | ekādaśaprakāro'haṃ tuṣṭo vastāpasottamāḥ | bahubhaktyatirekeṇa vriyatāṃ ca yathepsitam

Translation

রুদ্রগণ বললেন—আমি একাদশ রূপে বিরাজমান; হে তপস্বিশ্রেষ্ঠগণ, তোমাদের প্রতি আমি প্রসন্ন। তোমাদের অতিশয় ভক্তির ফলে যা ইচ্ছা, সেই বর গ্রহণ করো।

Word by Word

• rudrāḥ: the Rudras
• rudrāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (रुद्र) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• ekādaśa-prakāraḥ: of eleven forms / elevenfold
• ekādaśa-prakāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekādaśa (एकादश) + prakāra (प्रकार) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘अहं’ इत्यस्य विशेषण/विधेय (predicate nominative)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tuṣṭaḥ: pleased/satisfied
• tuṣṭaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tuṣ (तुष् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• vaḥ: of you / your
• vaḥ: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (युष्मद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (gen./dat.) बहुवचन; अत्र षष्ठी (of you) अधिकरणम्: ‘वः’ = ‘युष्माकम्’

• tāpasa-uttamāḥ: O best of ascetics
• tāpasa-uttamāḥ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāpasa (तापस) + uttama (उत्तम) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे (vocative sense though form = nom. pl.)

• bahu-bhakti-atirekeṇa: through abundant excess of devotion
• bahu-bhakti-atirekeṇa: Karana/Hetu (करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bahu (बहु) + bhakti (भक्ति) + atireka (अतिरेक) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन; हेतु/करणार्थ (by/through great excess of devotion)

• vriyatām: choose / let (it) be chosen
• vriyatām: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛ (वृ धातु; ‘to choose’)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद-प्रयोग (passive/impersonal style: ‘let it be chosen/choose!’)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• yathā: as
• yathā: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (यथा)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/according as)

• īpsitam: desired (wish)
• īpsitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īpsita (ईप्सित) < īps (ईप्स् desiderative of āp)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म-विशेषण (desired [thing])

Speaker

Rudrāḥ (the Eleven Rudras collectively)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Eleven Rudras speak in unison or through a chief Rudra, radiating calm power; the ascetics listen, hands folded; the moment centers on varada (boon-giving) and revelation of elevenfold presence.

Characters & Entities

• Rudrāḥ
• Ekādaśa (eleven forms)
• Tāpasa (ascetics)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Extraordinary devotion (bahu-bhakti) ripens into divine satisfaction and the granting of worthy desires.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode occurs in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra narrative stream of Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed; the Rudras offer a boon as a result of the ascetics’ devotion.