Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

सुरूपासूत तनयान्रुद्रानेकादशैव तु । कपाली पिंगलो भीमो विरुपाक्षो विलोहितः

Transliteration

surūpāsūta tanayānrudrānekādaśaiva tu | kapālī piṃgalo bhīmo virupākṣo vilohitaḥ

Translation

Surūpā gebar Söhne — wahrlich die elf Rudras: Kapālī, Piṅgala, Bhīma, Virūpākṣa und Vilohita, unter ihnen.

Word by Word

• सुरूपा: Surūpā (name)
• सुरूपा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरूपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषनाम

• असूत: gave birth to
• असूत: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (she bore)

• तनयान्: sons
• तनयान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• रुद्रान्: Rudras
• रुद्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; तनयान् इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन (Rudras)

• एकादश: eleven
• एकादश: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकादश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषणम्; रुद्रान् इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (eleven)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (only/indeed)

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• कपाली: Kapālī
• कपाली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषनाम

• पिङ्गलः: Piṅgala
• पिङ्गलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषनाम

• भीमः: Bhīma
• भीमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषनाम

• विरूपाक्षः: Virūpākṣa (odd-eyed)
• विरूपाक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरूप + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (विरूपे अक्षिणी यस्य)

• विलोहितः: Vilohita
• विलोहितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलोहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषनाम

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), as narrator to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ekādaśa-Rudra sambandha (pan-Śaiva)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Surūpā as a radiant mother-goddess giving rise to eleven Rudras, each emerging as a distinct Śaiva form; Kapālī holding a skull-bowl, Piṅgala with tawny hue, Bhīma massive and protective, Virūpākṣa with distinctive eyes, Vilohita with reddish glow; background of cremation-ground symbolism softened into cosmic aura.

Characters & Entities

• Surūpā
• Rudrāḥ (Eleven Rudras)
• Kapālī
• Piṅgala
• Bhīma
• Virūpākṣa
• Vilohita

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It celebrates the Rudra principle as manifold—one divine reality expressed through many names and functions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified; the verse is a Rudra-name list within genealogy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; however, such name-lists often support nāma-smaraṇa (devotional remembrance).