Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पुरा हत्वांऽधकं दैत्यं सगणो वृषभध्वजः । ततः स्नातो ह्रदं कृत्वा ततो रुद्रह्रदोऽभवत्

Transliteration

purā hatvāṃ'dhakaṃ daityaṃ sagaṇo vṛṣabhadhvajaḥ | tataḥ snāto hradaṃ kṛtvā tato rudrahrado'bhavat

Translation

പുരാതനകാലത്ത് വൃഷഭധ്വജനായ ശ്രീശിവൻ തന്റെ ഗണങ്ങളോടുകൂടെ അന്ധക ദൈത്യനെ വധിച്ച് അവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്തു. അങ്ങനെ ഹ്രദം രൂപപ്പെട്ടതിനാൽ ആ സ്ഥലം ‘രുദ്രഹ്രദം’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധമായി.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time adjunct/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: formerly)

• हत्वा: having slain
• हत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), परस्मैपदी; 'having slain'

• अन्धकम्: Andhaka
• अन्धकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• दैत्यम्: the demon
• दैत्यम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; अपपद-विशेषण/सम्बोधन-रूपेण (appositive to 'andhakam')

• स-गणः: together with (his) gaṇas
• स-गणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह-अर्थक-प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सहार्थक-विशेषण (with his attendants)

• वृषभ-ध्वजः: Śiva (he whose banner is a bull)
• वृषभ-ध्वजः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (one whose banner is a bull; epithet of Śiva)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequencer)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'having bathed'

• ह्रदम्: a lake
• ह्रदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); 'having made'

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequencer)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• रुद्र-ह्रदः: (it) Rudra-lake
• रुद्र-ह्रदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृ/नाम (became 'Rudra-lake')

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Pulastya (deduced from adjacent verses in this narrative sequence)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudra-hrada

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpaśreṣṭha (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva with bull-banner (vṛṣabhadhvaja) stands after slaying Andhaka; gaṇas surround him; he bathes, and the ground fills to become a luminous lake—Rudra-hrada.

Characters & Entities

• Andhaka
• Śiva (Vṛṣabhadhvaja)
• Rudra-hrada
• Gaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha becomes supremely sanctified by the direct presence and līlā of Śiva; sacred places preserve divine acts as ongoing sources of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rudra-hrada, a sacred lake praised in the Arbuda Khaṇḍa within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva’s own bathing (snāna) establishes the tīrtha’s sanctity, implicitly recommending bathing at Rudra-hrada for spiritual benefit.