Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

मध्यभागे स्थितं यच्च रुद्रकुण्डं प्रकीर्तितम् । कुण्डमध्याद्विनिर्गत्य यत्र गंगा वरानने

Transliteration

madhyabhāge sthitaṃ yacca rudrakuṇḍaṃ prakīrtitam | kuṇḍamadhyādvinirgatya yatra gaṃgā varānane

Translation

Und das, was in der Mitte gelegen ist, wird als Rudra-kuṇḍa gepriesen. Aus dem Zentrum dieses Teiches tritt, o Schönangesichtige, die Gaṅgā hervor.

Word by Word

• मध्यभागे: in the middle part
• मध्यभागे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य-भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मध्यस्य भागः)

• स्थितम्: situated
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत (past passive participle)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• रुद्रकुण्डम्: the Rudra-pond
• रुद्रकुण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र-कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रुद्रस्य कुण्डम्)

• प्रकीर्तितम्: is proclaimed/celebrated
• प्रकीर्तितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-कीर्त् (धातु) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• कुण्डमध्यात्: from the middle of the pond
• कुण्डमध्यात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड-मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कुण्डस्य मध्यः)

• विनिर्गत्य: having come out
• विनिर्गत्य: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि-निर्-गम् (धातु) → विनिर्गत्य (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• गंगा: Ganga
• गंगा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर-आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (वरम् आननं यस्याः)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller) addressing Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudra-kuṇḍa (Prabhāsa)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varānanā (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the center of a stepped pond (Rudra-kuṇḍa), a luminous spring rises; Gaṅgā appears as a radiant stream or as the goddess emerging from the water, while a Śiva-liṅga or Rudra emblem presides; devotees watch in reverent astonishment.

Characters & Entities

• Rudrakuṇḍa
• Gaṅgā
• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine waters are understood as manifesting through sacred sites, making local tīrthas extensions of pan-Indian holiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rudra-kuṇḍa at Prabhāsa, described as centrally placed and connected to Gaṅgā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not explicit; the verse emphasizes the sanctity of the water-source, supporting snāna and worship by implication.