Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

एतत्ते कथितं राजञ्छुद्धरुद्रमनुत्तमम् । मया श्रुतं यथा देवसकाशाच्छूलपाणिनः । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो रुद्रलोकं स गच्छति

Transliteration

etatte kathitaṃ rājañchuddharudramanuttamam | mayā śrutaṃ yathā devasakāśācchūlapāṇinaḥ | mucyate sarvapāpebhyo rudralokaṃ sa gacchati

Translation

ข้าแต่พระราชา ข้าพเจ้าได้กล่าวถึง ‘ศุทธรุทระ’ อันยอดยิ่งแก่ท่านแล้ว ตามที่ข้าพเจ้าได้สดับจากเทพผู้ทรงตรีศูล คือศูลปาณี ผู้ใดเข้าถึงด้วยศรัทธา ย่อมพ้นจากบาปทั้งปวงและไปสู่รุทรโลก

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी, एकवचन (dative singular)

• कथितम्: has been told
• कथितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; “(has been) told”

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (vocative singular)

• शुद्धरुद्रम्: Śuddharudra
• शुद्धरुद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular); नाम

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying शुद्धरुद्रम्)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• श्रुतम्: (was) heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; “heard”

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमान/सम्बन्धसूचक (indeclinable: “as/just as/that”)

• देवसकाशात्: from the presence of the god
• देवसकाशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + सकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (ablative singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष “from the presence of the god”

• शूलपाणिनः: of Śūlapāṇi (Śiva)
• शूलपाणिनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular); बहुव्रीहि “he whose hand holds a trident” (Śiva)

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे “is released”

• सर्वपापेभ्यः: from all sins
• सर्वपापेभ्यः: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, बहुवचन (ablative plural); कर्मधारय “from all sins”

• रुद्रलोकम्: Rudra’s world
• रुद्रलोकम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष “Rudra’s world”

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• गच्छति: goes
• गच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śuddharudra-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-narrator addresses Yudhiṣṭhira, declaring he heard the account from Śūlapāṇi; behind them, a visionary Śiva with trident appears, blessing the tīrtha; pilgrims bathe and worship, symbolizing release from sins and ascent to Rudra-loka.

Characters & Entities

• Śuddharudra
• Śiva (Chūlapāṇi)
• Rudraloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaiva tīrtha-devotion grounded in authentic tradition (heard from Śiva) is portrayed as a direct means to sin-removal and higher worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Śuddharudra sacred locus (tīrtha/linga) described in Revā Khaṇḍa, praised for pāpa-kṣaya and Rudraloka-gati.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a new rite here; it concludes the māhātmya by stating the fruit: liberation from sins and attainment of Rudraloka through faithful engagement with Śuddharudra.