Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

असंख्याताः सहस्राणि ये रुद्रा भूमिमाश्रिताः । नमस्तेभ्योऽपि सर्वेभ्यस्तेषां रक्षंति ये रुजः

Transliteration

asaṃkhyātāḥ sahasrāṇi ye rudrā bhūmimāśritāḥ | namastebhyo'pi sarvebhyasteṣāṃ rakṣaṃti ye rujaḥ

Translation

Innumerables millares de Rudras habitan la tierra; a todos ellos también, salutación: a quienes guardan a los seres de dolores y aflicciones.

Word by Word

• asaṃkhyātāḥ: countless
• asaṃkhyātāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-saṃkhyāta (अ+संख्यात) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘rudrāḥ’ विशेषणम्

• sahasrāṇi: thousands
• sahasrāṇi: Visheshaṇa/Apposition (विशेषण/अप्पोज़िशन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (सहस्र) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-नाम (as apposition/measure)

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• rudrāḥ: Rudras
• rudrāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (रुद्र) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• bhūmim: the earth
• bhūmim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (भूमि) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• āśritāḥ: having resorted to / dwelling on
• āśritāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-śri (आ+श्रि धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘rudrāḥ’ विशेषणम्

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (salutation)

• tebhyaḥ: to them
• tebhyaḥ: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (dative), बहुवचन

• api: also/even
• api: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अपि)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: also/even)

• sarvebhyaḥ: to all
• sarvebhyaḥ: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (सर्व) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (dative), बहुवचन; ‘tebhyaḥ’ विशेषणम्

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (genitive), बहुवचन

• rakṣanti: they protect
• rakṣanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣ (रक्ष् धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• rujaḥ: pains/diseases
• rujaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ruj (रुज्) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative), बहुवचन; ‘रुज्’ = पीडा/रोग (pain/disease)

Speaker

Tāpasas (ascetics)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast sacred landscape subtly populated by countless Rudra-presences—some ascetic, some fierce, some benevolent—while devotees offer namaskāra; the atmosphere suggests protection from illness and sorrow.

Characters & Entities

• Rudras
• Earth (Bhūmi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine is present even on earth in countless forms; invoking Rudra is portrayed as protection from suffering and illness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the chapter’s tīrtha-glory through a universal Rudra-invocation; the specific tīrtha is not named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering salutations (namaḥ) as a healing-protective prayer; no additional ritual details appear here.