Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

निर्गतो जठराद्गर्भो दधीचस्य महात्मनः । साक्षाद्रुद्रावतारोऽसौ पिप्लादो महाप्रभः

Transliteration

nirgato jaṭharādgarbho dadhīcasya mahātmanaḥ | sākṣādrudrāvatāro'sau piplādo mahāprabhaḥ

Translation

ആ ഉദരത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മഹാത്മാവായ ദധീചിയുടെ ഗർഭം പുറത്തുവന്നു. സാക്ഷാൽ രുദ്രന്റെ അവതാരവും മഹാതേജസ്വിയുമായ 'പിപ്പലാദൻ' ആയിരുന്നു അത്.

Word by Word

• निर्गतः: emerged
• निर्गतः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्-गम् (धातु) → निर्गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘gone out/emerged’

• जठरात्: from the belly
• जठरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जठर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• गर्भः: the child/embryo
• गर्भः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दधीचस्य: of Dadhīci
• दधीचस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधीचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled
• महात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive-qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying दधीचस्य) ‘of the great-souled’

• साक्षात्: directly
• साक्षात्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/क्रियाविशेषण) = ‘directly/in person’

• रुद्र-अवतारः: an incarnation of Rudra
• रुद्र-अवतारः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘रुद्रस्य अवतारः’

• असौ: he (that one)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; दूरनिर्देशक (distal demonstrative) ‘that one/he’

• पिप्लादः: Piplāda
• पिप्लादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिप्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (proper noun)

• महाप्रभः: greatly powerful
• महाप्रभः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाप्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying पिप्लादः) ‘very mighty/glorious’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pippalāda-prādurbhāva-sthāna (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From beneath the aśvattha roots emerges the radiant child Pippalāda, surrounded by a Rudra-like aura—matted-hair symbolism hinted, third-eye motif suggested, serpentine ornaments implied; nature brightens as the avatāra appears.

Characters & Entities

• Dadhīci
• Rudra
• Pippalāda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinity manifests to restore dharma; Rudra’s presence is shown as immediate and protective within sacred narratives.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-khaṇḍa frames the episode within Kedāra’s sacred landscape, though this verse focuses on the birth and identity of Pippalāda.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse identifies Pippalāda as a Rudra-avatāra.