Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

ऊर्ध्वरूपं विरूपाक्षं योऽधीते रुद्रमेव च । ईशानं पश्यते साक्षात्षण्मासात्सङ्गवर्जितः

Transliteration

ūrdhvarūpaṃ virūpākṣaṃ yo'dhīte rudrameva ca | īśānaṃ paśyate sākṣātṣaṇmāsātsaṅgavarjitaḥ

Translation

‘ഊർധ്വരൂപ’ ‘വിരൂപാക്ഷ’ സ്തോത്രങ്ങളും റുദ്രപാഠവും പഠിച്ച്, ലോകാസക്തി വിട്ട് നിൽക്കുന്നവൻ—ആറ് മാസത്തിനകം സാക്ഷാൽ ഈശാനൻ (ശിവൻ) ദർശനം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ऊर्ध्वरूपम्: of upward form
• ऊर्ध्वरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (ऊर्ध्वं रूपं यस्य/ऊर्ध्व-रूप); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (of ईशानम्/रुद्रम्)

• विरूपाक्षम्: Virūpākṣa (the odd/varied-eyed one)
• विरूपाक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + रूप + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (विरूपे अक्षिणी यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; रुद्रस्य नाम

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक relative pronoun

• अधीते: studies, recites
• अधीते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष? (न), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘(he) studies/recites’ (आत्मनेपद रूप: अधीते = he studies)

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

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; emphasis ‘indeed/only’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• ईशानम्: Īśāna (Shiva)
• ईशानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; शिवस्य नाम

• पश्यते: sees
• पश्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• साक्षात्: directly, manifestly
• साक्षात्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sākṣāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण; ‘directly, before one’s eyes’)

• षण्मासात्: after six months
• षण्मासात्: Apādāna/Avadhi (Limit-point/अवधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (षट् मासाः); पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; ‘after six months/from six months’

• सङ्गवर्जितः: free from attachment/association
• सङ्गवर्जितः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सङ्ग + वर्जित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सङ्गात् वर्जितः); क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle) from √वर्ज्; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण (of यः)

Speaker

Nandī (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-tīra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sādhaka in a riverside hut recites Rudra-texts; above, Īśāna manifests in luminous form—five-faced, serene, with crescent moon and matted locks—appearing as direct darśana after sustained practice.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Īśāna
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural recitation becomes transformative when paired with detachment; then direct realization of Śiva is promised.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s Narmadā milieu, where Śaiva recitation and purity are celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Study/recitation of specific Śaiva texts (Ūrdhvarūpa, Virūpākṣa, and Rudra) along with saṅga-tyāga (freedom from attachment) for six months.