Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

एकादशधा रुद्राणां तानि ते वच्मि सांप्रतम् । भूतेशो नीलरुद्रश्च कपाली वृषवाहनः

Transliteration

ekādaśadhā rudrāṇāṃ tāni te vacmi sāṃpratam | bhūteśo nīlarudraśca kapālī vṛṣavāhanaḥ

Translation

Kini akan kukhabarkan nama-nama Rudra dalam pembahagian sebelas: Bhūteśa, Nīlarudra, Kapālī, dan Vṛṣavāhana.

Word by Word

• एकादशधा: in eleven forms/ways
• एकादशधा: Sambandha/Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + धा (अव्ययप्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक) — ‘in eleven ways’

• रुद्राणाम्: of the Rudras
• रुद्राणाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — ‘of the Rudras’

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन — ‘those (names/forms)’

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th), एकवचन — here दत्तिवाचक (to you)

• वच्मि: I tell
• वच्मि: Kriya (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘I say/tell’

• सांप्रतम्: now
• सांप्रतम्: Sambandha/Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रत (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘now/at present’

• भूतेशः: Bhūteśa (Lord of beings)
• भूतेशः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत-ईश (प्रातिपदिक; भूत + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — name of Rudra

• नीलरुद्रः: Nīlarudra (Blue Rudra)
• नीलरुद्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील-रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक; नील + रुद्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — name

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — ‘and’

• कपाली: Kapālī (Skull-bearer)
• कपाली: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — name

• वृषवाहनः: Vṛṣavāhana (Bull-bannered)
• वृषवाहनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष-वाहन (प्रातिपदिक; वृष + वाहन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — name

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The first four Kali-yuga Rudras are invoked: Bhūteśa as lord of bhūtas with attendant gaṇas; Nīlarudra with blue throat/blue aura; Kapālī holding a skull-bowl; Vṛṣavāhana mounted on Nandin/bull. A ritual altar at Prabhāsa displays four icons in sequence, awaiting the remaining seven.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Bhūteśa
• Nīlarudra
• Kapālī
• Vṛṣavāhana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s one reality is contemplated through an elevenfold sacred taxonomy, supporting focused devotion and remembrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where this Shaiva listing is framed within the site’s Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit devotional practice is nāma-smaraṇa (remembering/reciting names), though no formal procedure is stated.