Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

पुरा रुद्रसरो नाम तत्तीर्थं कलशोद्भव । दशाश्वमेधिकं पश्चाज्जातं विधिपरिग्रहात्

Transliteration

purā rudrasaro nāma tattīrthaṃ kalaśodbhava | daśāśvamedhikaṃ paścājjātaṃ vidhiparigrahāt

Translation

Einst, o Kalaśodbhava (Agastya), hieß diese Tīrtha Rudra-saras; später, durch die feierliche Übernahme des Ritus durch Vidhi (Brahmā), wurde sie als Daśāśvamedhika bekannt.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly)

• रुद्रसरः: Rudra-lake
• रुद्रसरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: रुद्रस्य सरः (तत्पुरुष)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Naming particle/नामार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामार्थक-निपात (called/named)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Determiner/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशक (that)

• तीर्थम्: sacred place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कलशोद्भव: O Kalaśodbhava (Agastya)
• कलशोद्भव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (vocative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: कलशात् उद्भवः यस्य सः (O one born from the pot)

• दशाश्वमेधिकम्: pertaining to the ten Aśvamedhas
• दशाश्वमेधिकम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Predicative complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश + अश्वमेध + इक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तद्धितान्त ‘-इक’ (pertaining to); समास: दश-अश्वमेध-सम्बन्धि

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (afterwards)

• जातम्: became, arose
• जातम्: Kriyā (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘became/arose’

• विधिपरिग्रहात्: due to the acceptance/ordinance of the rite
• विधिपरिग्रहात्: Apādāna/Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि + परिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन; समास: विधेः परिग्रहः (तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; addressing Agastya as Kalaśodbhava)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudra-saras (earlier); Daśāśvamedhika (later)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kalaśodbhava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-narrative depiction: an earlier serene ‘Rudra-saras’ with Śaiva symbols, transitioning to a later scene of Brahmā’s formal rite (vidhi-parigraha) that renames it Daśāśvamedhika; Agastya as attentive listener in the frame.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya (Kalaśodbhava)
• Rudra-saras
• Daśāśvamedhika
• Vidhi (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places carry layered identities—Śaiva memory (Rudra-saras) and Vedic merit (Daśāśvamedha)—both intensifying the tīrtha’s glory.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The Daśāśvamedha Tīrtha area, earlier remembered as Rudra-saras.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Brahmā’s ‘parigraha’ (formal undertaking) of great yajñas, explaining the tīrtha’s later name and fame.