Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

उद्धृत्य च जटां रुद्रो लोकसंहारकारकः । आस्फोटयामास रुषा पर्वतस्य शिरोपरि

Transliteration

uddhṛtya ca jaṭāṃ rudro lokasaṃhārakārakaḥ | āsphoṭayāmāsa ruṣā parvatasya śiropari

Translation

Alors Rudra, l’agent de la dissolution cosmique, releva ses mèches en jaṭā et, dans sa fureur, les fouetta sur le sommet de la montagne.

Word by Word

• uddhṛtya: having lifted up
• uddhṛtya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ud+dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• jaṭām: the matted lock(s)
• jaṭām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaṭā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• rudraḥ: Rudra
• rudraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• loka-saṃhāra-kārakaḥ: the agent of the destruction of the worlds
• loka-saṃhāra-kārakaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka+saṃhāra+kāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (लोकानां संहारस्य कारकः)

• āsphoṭayāmāsa: shook / snapped / made (it) crack
• āsphoṭayāmāsa: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā+ sphuṭ/ sphoṭ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative stem: sphoṭay-)

• ruṣā: with anger
• ruṣā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ruṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• parvatasya: of the mountain
• parvatasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• śiraḥ: on the head / summit
• śiraḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (śiropari इत्यत्र पूर्वपदम्)

• upari: upon / on
• upari: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upari (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपरि-शब्दः (postposition/adverb of place)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedārakṣetra)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a stark Himalayan summit, Rudra stands विशाल and terrible, lifting His jaṭā; with a furious snap He lashes the matted locks, sending a shock through sky and mountain—clouds whirl, ash and light mingle.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Śiva)
• Parvata (mountain)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s cosmic power is portrayed as protective of dharma—His fierce aspect arises when sacred order is violated.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa frames the Himalayan tīrtha-world (Kedāra region); this verse uses a mountain setting as part of that sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse is descriptive of Rudra’s action.