Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

रुद्रा दश दश प्राच्यवाची प्रत्यगुदक्स्थिताः । ऊर्ध्वदिक्स्थाश्च ये रुद्राः पठ्यंते वेदवादिभिः

Transliteration

rudrā daśa daśa prācyavācī pratyagudaksthitāḥ | ūrdhvadiksthāśca ye rudrāḥ paṭhyaṃte vedavādibhiḥ

Translation

ルドラは十ずつの群として語られる。東方に結びつく者、西方と北方に住する者、そして上方の方位に在る者—そのようなルドラが、ヴェーダを説く者たちによって誦される。

Word by Word

• रुद्राः: Rudras
• रुद्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक/संख्याशब्द)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषण (indeclinable-like numeral used adjectivally)

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक/संख्याशब्द)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषण (indeclinable-like numeral used adjectivally)

• प्राच्यवाची: facing east
• प्राच्यवाची: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राची + वाचिन् (प्रातिपदिक; वाचिन्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचनार्थे (collective/elliptic agreement with रुद्राः); दिशाविशेषण (denoting eastern-facing)

• प्रत्यगुदक्स्थिताः: standing to the west and north
• प्रत्यगुदक्स्थिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यक् + उदक् + स्थित (स्था धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्तान्त-विशेषण (past participle)

• ऊर्ध्वदिक्स्थाः: situated in the upward direction
• ऊर्ध्वदिक्स्थाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व + दिक् + स्थ (स्था धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्तान्त-विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ये: who/which
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• रुद्राः: Rudras
• रुद्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पठ्यन्ते: are recited
• पठ्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• वेदवादिभिः: by the expounders of the Veda
• वेदवादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + वादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kalaśaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vedic expounder recites; around him, Rudra-forms appear in the four quarters and above, each aligned to a direction, forming a mandala-like cosmogram.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Veda
• Vedic scholars (vedavādins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rudra’s presence is understood as pervasive and ordered—recognized through Vedic recitation and sacred cosmology.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kāśī’s Śaiva glory, though this verse itself highlights Rudras in the directions rather than a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the emphasis is on Vedic recitation/recognition (paṭhana) of Rudra forms.