Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 177

Devanagari script

ततः सा रुद्रवाक्येन वरयामास तं पतिम् । रुद्रलोकं ययौ चापि महाकालसन्विता

Transliteration

tataḥ sā rudravākyena varayāmāsa taṃ patim | rudralokaṃ yayau cāpi mahākālasanvitā

Translation

Alors, selon la parole de Rudra, elle le choisit pour époux ; et, accompagnée de Mahākāla, elle se rendit au monde de Rudra.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय; tad-abl.)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• rudra-vākyena: by Rudra’s words
• rudra-vākyena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra + vākya (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रस्य वाक्यम्)

• varayāmāsa: chose
• varayāmāsa: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛ (धातु; √वृ ‘वरणे’)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्; causative nuance in usage ‘to choose’

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• patim: husband
• patim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• rudra-lokam: Rudra’s world
• rudra-lokam: Karma (Goal/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra + loka (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रस्य लोकः)

• yayau: went
• yayau: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु; √या ‘गत्यर्थे’)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunctive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• api: also
• api: Samuccaya (Additive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (also/even)

• mahākāla-sanvitā: accompanied by Mahākāla
• mahākāla-sanvitā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahākāla + sanvitā (प्रातिपदिक; √vid + sam + kta/क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (महाकालेन संविता = ‘सहितā/युक्तā’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The maiden garlands Mahākāla in a symbolic wedding; immediately the scene shifts to a celestial journey—Mahākāla beside her—ascending toward Rudra’s luminous realm.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Mahākāla
• Rudraloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Obedience to divine instruction and refuge in Mahākāla leads to elevation—symbolized by reaching Rudra’s realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding account continues the Mahākāla tīrtha greatness, showing its power to grant divine companionship and higher worlds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No detailed ritual; the act is a sacred choice made in alignment with Rudra’s word within the tīrtha’s sanctity.