Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

रुद्रलोके वसेत्तावद्यावदाभूतसंप्लवम् । अयने विषुवे चैव ग्रहणे चंद्रसूर्ययोः

Transliteration

rudraloke vasettāvadyāvadābhūtasaṃplavam | ayane viṣuve caiva grahaṇe caṃdrasūryayoḥ

Translation

He dwells in Rudra’s world until the cosmic dissolution. This is especially so at the solstices, at the equinox, and at the eclipses of the Moon and the Sun.

Word by Word

• रुद्रलोके: in Rudra’s world
• रुद्रलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘रुद्रस्य लोकः’

• वसेत्: should dwell
• वसेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Adverbial (कालपरिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (correlative: so long/that long)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Adverbial (कालपरिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (correlative: as long as)

• आभूतसंप्लवम्: up to the dissolution of beings
• आभूतसंप्लवम्: Adverbial (Limit/पर्यन्त)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + संप्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः—‘आभूतसंप्लवम्’ = ‘भूतसंप्लवपर्यन्तम्’ (up to the cosmic dissolution)

• अयने: at the solstice (ayana)
• अयने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• विषुवे: at the equinox
• विषुवे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• ग्रहणे: at an eclipse
• ग्रहणे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रहण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• चन्द्रसूर्ययोः: of the moon and the sun
• चन्द्रसूर्ययोः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः—‘चन्द्रश्च सूर्यश्च’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kumāreśvara-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims gather at Kumāreśvara during an eclipse; the sky darkens, lamps and torches glow, priests chant; a visionary overlay shows Rudraloka—radiant Śiva realm—suggesting the promised posthumous abode until pralaya.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• ayana
• viṣuva
• candra-grahaṇa
• sūrya-grahaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (kāla) amplifies sacred place (deśa), and devotion aligned with both leads to exalted posthumous states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter context is Kumāreśvara-tīrtha; this verse highlights auspicious calendrical moments connected to its merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance at key times—solstice (ayana), equinox (viṣuva), and lunar/solar eclipses (grahaṇa)—implied as potent for tīrtha practice.