Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 162

Devanagari script

रुद्रदेहं ययौ पार्थ पुनरावृत्तिदुर्लभम् । एवमेतन्महाकुंडं बहूदकमिति स्मृतम्

Transliteration

rudradehaṃ yayau pārtha punarāvṛttidurlabham | evametanmahākuṃḍaṃ bahūdakamiti smṛtam

Translation

ഹേ പാർഥാ! അവൻ രുദ്രസദൃശമായ ദേഹം പ്രാപിച്ചു; അവിടെ നിന്ന് സംസാരത്തിലേക്ക് മടങ്ങിവരൽ ദുർലഭം. അതിനാൽ ഈ മഹാകുണ്ഡം ‘ബഹൂദകം’ എന്നു സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• रुद्रदेहं: Rudra’s body/form
• रुद्रदेहं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—रुद्रस्य देहः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• ययौ: went/attained
• ययौ: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• पुनरावृत्तिदुर्लभम्: hard to return from (i.e., from which return is difficult)
• पुनरावृत्तिदुर्लभम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुनरावृत्ति + दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—पुनरावृत्तिः यस्य दुर्लभा/दुर्लभम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/निर्देश)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (thus)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महाकुंडं: the great pond/tank
• महाकुंडं: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—महৎ कुण्डम् (कर्मधारयः)

• बहूदकम्: (is called) Bahūdaka
• बहूदकम्: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहूदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—बहु + उदक (कर्मधारयः); नाम

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/निरूपणार्थक-अव्यय (quotative: ‘thus’)

• स्मृतम्: is known/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘is remembered/called’

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bahūdaka (Mahākuṇḍa)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee, after austerity and tīrtha worship, is shown transfigured into a radiant Rudra-like form—ash-smeared, matted locks, trident aura—standing by the great pool; the water reflects a cosmic glow.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Rudra
• Bahūdaka
• Mahākuṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Association with a mahā-tīrtha and right devotion can elevate one toward Rudra-like liberation, making rebirth unlikely.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahākuṇḍa known as Bahūdaka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, the tīrtha’s sanctity is affirmed; the explicit practices (snāna/pūjā) are stated in surrounding verses.