Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 120

Devanagari script

अप्येकं यो महारुद्रं जपेद्वीरेश सन्निधौ । जापयेद्वा भवेत्तस्य कोटिरुद्रफलं ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

apyekaṃ yo mahārudraṃ japedvīreśa sannidhau | jāpayedvā bhavettasya koṭirudraphalaṃ dhruvam

Translation

ผู้ใดสวดมนต์มหารุทรเพียงครั้งเดียวต่อหน้าพระวีเรศะ หรือให้ผู้อื่นสวดแทน ผู้นั้นย่อมได้ผลบุญแน่นอนเสมอด้วยการทำโกฏิรุทระ คือการสวดรุทระนับโกฏิครั้ง

Word by Word

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), अर्थेऽपि/अपि = even/also

• ekam: one (single)
• ekam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• mahārudram: Mahārudra (great Rudra)
• mahārudram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् रुद्रः)

• japet: should recite
• japet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jap (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• vīreśa: O Vīreśa
• vīreśa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīra + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समास (वीराणाम् ईशः); सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• sannidhau: in the presence
• sannidhau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sannidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• jāpayet: should cause (someone) to recite
• jāpayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jap (धातु, णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच् (causative)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• bhavet: would be / should become
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tasya: of him/for him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• koṭirudraphalam: the fruit equal to (the japa of) Koṭirudra
• koṭirudraphalam: Karta (Predicate nominative/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi + rudra + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता/प्रत्यय), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कोटिरुद्रस्य फलम्)

• dhruvam: certainly/firmly
• dhruvam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vīreśa-sannidhi (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands before the Vīreśa liṅga on the Gaṅgā-side, hands in añjali, softly reciting Mahārudra; nearby, learned brāhmaṇas chant on behalf of donors, with lamps and bilva leaves offered.

Characters & Entities

• Mahārudra
• Vīreśa
• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, devotion performed with faith at a praised shrine is amplified; even a small act of japa near Vīreśa yields vast merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The presence (sannidhi) of Vīreśa in Kāśī is praised as a powerful locus for Rudra-oriented practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of the Mahārudra (personally) or arranging japa through others (jāpana), promising Koṭi-Rudra-equivalent fruit.