Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

दूरतोऽपि समभ्येत्य ते सर्वे तत्र मंदिरे । रुद्रशीर्षाभिधानं च प्रचक्रुः सुरतोत्सवम्

Transliteration

dūrato'pi samabhyetya te sarve tatra maṃdire | rudraśīrṣābhidhānaṃ ca pracakruḥ suratotsavam

Translation

ദൂരത്തുനിന്നും വന്നിട്ടും അവർ എല്ലാവരും ആ ക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ ഒന്നിച്ചു; ‘രുദ്രശീർഷ’ എന്ന പേരിലുള്ള സുരതോത്സവം അവർ വിധിപൂർവ്വം നടത്തി।

Word by Word

• दूरतः: from afar
• दूरतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान-अर्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूरतस् (अव्यय/तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त क्रियाविशेषण (ablatival adverb)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-भाव (even/also)

• समभ्येत्य: having approached
• समभ्येत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + अभि + इ (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-रूपेण कृदन्तम्; ल्यप्-प्रत्यय (क्त्वा-अर्थ), ‘having come/approached’ (Gerund)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (Nominative plural)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• मन्दिरे: in the temple
• मन्दिरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Locative singular)

• रुद्रशीर्षाभिधानम्: the name ‘Rudraśīrṣa’
• रुद्रशीर्षाभिधानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्रशीर्ष + अभिधान (प्रातिपदिक; अभि + धा (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रशीर्षस्य अभिधानम्) (Accusative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रचक्रुः: they performed/they made
• प्रचक्रुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परस्मैपदम्), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; धातुः कृ (to do/make) (Perfect, 3rd pl)

• सुरतोत्सवम्: festival of sexual pleasure
• सुरतोत्सवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरत + उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (सुरतस्य उत्सवः) (Accusative singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudraśīrṣa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bustling Śaiva temple festival: flags, lamps, musicians, devotees arriving from afar; the Rudraśīrṣa emblem or liṅga adorned; celebratory yet sacred atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Rudraśīrṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrims converge upon a sacred shrine to participate in a named holy celebration, highlighting communal devotion as part of tīrtha-power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The temple and observance connected with the Rudraśīrṣa-tīrtha in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Participation in the Rudraśīrṣa ‘utsava’ (festival/observance) at the shrine is indicated.