Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

भस्मीभूतं रुद्रकोपात्कथं सृष्टिः प्रवर्तिता । कुतो ब्रह्मा च विष्णुश्च कुतश्चंद्रपुरोगमाः

Transliteration

bhasmībhūtaṃ rudrakopātkathaṃ sṛṣṭiḥ pravartitā | kuto brahmā ca viṣṇuśca kutaścaṃdrapurogamāḥ

Translation

Als alles durch Rudras Zorn zu Asche wurde, wie konnte die Schöpfung wieder in Gang kommen? Woher erschienen Brahmā und Viṣṇu, und woher der Mond und die übrigen Himmelslichter?

Word by Word

• भस्मीभूतम्: reduced to ashes
• भस्मीभूतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्मीभूत (कृदन्त; भस्मन् + भू (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — ‘भस्मीकृत/भस्मरूपं जातम्’

• रुद्रकोपात्: from Rudra’s wrath
• रुद्रकोपात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्रकोप (प्रातिपदिक; रुद्र + कोप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अपादान (ablative) — ‘रुद्रस्य कोपः’

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha/Prashna (Interrogative relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• सृष्टिः: creation
• सृष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; √सृज् (धातु) + क्तिन्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रवर्तिता: was set in motion / began
• प्रवर्तिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रवर्तित (कृदन्त; प्र + √वृत्/√वर्त् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) — ‘प्रवृत्ता/आरब्धा’

• कुतः: from where?
• कुतः: Sambandha/Prashna (Interrogative relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb; ‘whence/from where’)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• कुतः: from where?
• कुतः: Sambandha/Prashna (Interrogative relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• चन्द्रपुरोगमाः: those led by the Moon
• चन्द्रपुरोगमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्रपुरोगम (प्रातिपदिक; चन्द्र + पुरोगम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘चन्द्रः पुरोगमः येषाम्’ (अग्रगामी)

Speaker

Sages (Munis) addressing Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: assembly of sages (munis)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages in a Himalayan hermitage near Kedāra, ash-grey imagery evoking pralaya; they raise hands in inquiry about the re-arising of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and the luminaries from a universe reduced to bhasma.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Candra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creation and dissolution are cyclical; understanding their source leads the mind toward the ultimate divine ground.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is singled out in this verse; it functions as a doctrinal question within the Kedāra Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.