Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

रुद्रं रौद्रपरीवारं महाकालवपुर्धरम् । नृकरोटीपरिकरं जातिगोत्रविवर्जितम्

Transliteration

rudraṃ raudraparīvāraṃ mahākālavapurdharam | nṛkaroṭīparikaraṃ jātigotravivarjitam

Translation

(Je ne reconnus pas) Rudra, entouré des cohortes farouches; portant la forme de Mahākāla; paré de crânes humains—au-delà de caste et de lignée.

Word by Word

• रुद्रम्: Rudra
• रुद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• रौद्रपरीवारम्: having a fierce retinue
• रौद्रपरीवारम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र + परिवार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रौद्रः परिवारः यस्य)

• महाकालवपुर्धरम्: bearing the form of Mahākāla
• महाकालवपुर्धरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाकाल + वपुस् + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (महाकालस्य वपुः धरति इति)

• नृकरोटीपरिकरम्: adorned with human skulls
• नृकरोटीपरिकरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नृ + करोटी + परिकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नृणां करोटीभिः परिकरः यस्य)

• जातिगोत्रविवर्जितम्: devoid of caste and lineage
• जातिगोत्रविवर्जितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जाति + गोत्र + विवर्जित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘विवर्जित’ = वि + वर्ज् (धातु) + क्त (PPP); द्वन्द्वः (जाति-गोत्रयोः) ततः तत्पुरुषः (जातिगोत्राभ्यां विवर्जितः)

Speaker

Dakṣa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta) — Mahākāla aspect

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rudra as Mahākāla: surrounded by raudra gaṇas, wearing a garland/ornaments of human skulls, radiating time-devouring majesty; the social world falls away before his presence.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Rudra (Śiva)
• Mahākāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva as Mahākāla transcends social identity—liberation lies beyond jāti and gotra, in the timeless Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahākāla is especially resonant with Kāśī’s Śaiva sacred geography (and also Ujjain in wider tradition), though this verse itself presents a form-title rather than a tīrtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a theological characterization of Rudra/Mahākāla.