Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

प्रोत्फुल्लामलनीलाब्जं शरदीवामलं सरः । भस्मशुभ्रतनुच्छायै रुद्र र्हंसैरिवावृतम्

Transliteration

protphullāmalanīlābjaṃ śaradīvāmalaṃ saraḥ | bhasmaśubhratanucchāyai rudra rhaṃsairivāvṛtam

Translation

അവൻ ശരദ്കാലത്തിലെ നിർമ്മല തടാകംപോലെ തോന്നി—കുറ്റമറ്റ നീലത്താമരകൾ വിരിഞ്ഞതുപോലെ; ഭസ്മധവള ദേഹഛായയുള്ള രുദ്രഹംസങ്ങൾ ചുറ്റിയതുപോലെ।

Word by Word

• protphulla-amala-nīla-abjam: (having) fully-bloomed, pure blue lotuses
• protphulla-amala-nīla-abjam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: protphulla (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + amala (प्रातिपदिक) + nīla (प्रातिपदिक) + abja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (abjaṃ yat protphullaṃ amalaṃ nīlaṃ ca)

• śaradi: in autumn
• śaradi: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time-location/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• iva: as if/like
• iva: Upamā-bodhaka (Simile marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमा-वाचक (comparative particle)

• amalam: spotless, clear
• amalam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: amala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• saraḥ: the lake
• saraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• bhasma-śubhra-tanu-cchāyaiḥ: by pale, ash-white slender shades
• bhasma-śubhra-tanu-cchāyaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhasma (प्रातिपदिक) + śubhra (प्रातिपदिक) + tanu (प्रातिपदिक) + chāyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (chāyāḥ yāḥ bhasma-śubhrāḥ tanvyaḥ)

• rudra-haṃsaiḥ: by Rudra’s swans
• rudra-haṃsaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + haṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (rudrasya haṃsāḥ / rudra-sambandhinaḥ haṃsāḥ)

• iva: as if
• iva: Upamā-bodhaka (Simile marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमा-वाचक

• āvṛtam: covered, surrounded
• āvṛtam: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa / Predicative (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√vṛ (धातु) (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (covered)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Visual Art Cues

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.

Characters & Entities

• Rudras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Rudras are portrayed as purifying forces—like autumn clarity and ash-white radiance—signifying cleansing of impurity and fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse uses nature imagery to magnify the Śaiva presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly, though bhasma imagery aligns with Śaiva devotional practice.