Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43
प्रोत्फुल्लामलनीलाब्जं शरदीवामलं सरः । भस्मशुभ्रतनुच्छायै रुद्र र्हंसैरिवावृतम्
protphullāmalanīlābjaṃ śaradīvāmalaṃ saraḥ | bhasmaśubhratanucchāyai rudra rhaṃsairivāvṛtam
Il semblait tel un lac d’automne, limpide et pur, où s’épanouissent des lotus bleus immaculés—comme s’il était couvert de cygnes de Rudra, aux corps blancs luisant comme la cendre sacrée.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages
Scene: A startlingly beautiful comparison: the bloodied, ash-bright scene is likened to an autumn lake with blooming blue lotuses, over which white swans glide—here ‘Rudra-swans’ whose bodies shine like sacred ash.
FAQs
The Rudras are portrayed as purifying forces—like autumn clarity and ash-white radiance—signifying cleansing of impurity and fear.
No specific site is named; the verse uses nature imagery to magnify the Śaiva presence.
None directly, though bhasma imagery aligns with Śaiva devotional practice.