Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तस्यैवोत्तरदिग्भागे रुद्रकोटिर्द्विजोत्तमाः । अस्ति संपूजिता विप्रै र्दाक्षिणात्यैर्महात्मभिः

Transliteration

tasyaivottaradigbhāge rudrakoṭirdvijottamāḥ | asti saṃpūjitā viprai rdākṣiṇātyairmahātmabhiḥ

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമാ! അതിന്റെ വടക്കുഭാഗത്ത് ‘രുദ്രകോടി’ എന്ന തീർത്ഥം ഉണ്ട്; ദക്ഷിണദേശത്തിലെ മഹാത്മ ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാർ അതിനെ ഭക്തിപൂർവ്വം പൂജിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — genitive singular (‘of that/of it’)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha-bodhaka/Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारणार्थक) — indeclinable particle ‘indeed/just’

• उत्तर-दिक्-भागे: in the northern part
• उत्तर-दिक्-भागे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — masculine locative singular; ‘in the northern-direction part’

• रुद्र-कोटिः: Rudrakoṭi (a sacred place)
• रुद्र-कोटिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — feminine nominative singular (name of a tīrtha/spot)

• द्विज-उत्तमाः: O best Brahmins (best of the twice-born)
• द्विज-उत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Anuvāda (Appositive/अनुवाद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — masculine nominative plural (‘best of the twice-born’)

• अस्ति: exists
• अस्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् — ‘is/exists’

• संपूजिता: well worshipped
• संपूजिता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + √पूज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — feminine nominative singular agreeing with ‘रुद्रकोटिः’ (‘well-worshipped’)

• विप्रैः: by Brahmins
• विप्रैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — masculine instrumental plural

• दाक्षिणात्यैः: southern (from the South)
• दाक्षिणात्यैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दाक्षिणात्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — masculine instrumental plural (qualifying ‘विप्रैः’)

• महात्मभिः: great-souled
• महात्मभिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — masculine instrumental plural (qualifying ‘विप्रैः’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudrakoṭi

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (best of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A northern-bank shrine-grove: a simple liṅga under trees, surrounded by many brāhmaṇas performing pūjā; a group of southern pilgrims arrives with offerings, signifying long-distance devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Rudrakoṭi
• Dākṣiṇātya brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places gain renown through sustained worship and the devotion of realized devotees, making tīrtha-yātrā a dharmic path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rudrakoṭi, identified as a revered tīrtha located to the north of the previously mentioned sacred area.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (pūjā) by devotees—especially Brahmins—is indicated as the defining practice associated with Rudrakoṭi.