Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

स्नानं कृत्वा ह्रदे तत्र दृष्ट्वा शूलेश्वरं विभुम् । रुद्रलोकं नरा यांति त्यक्त्वा संसारगह्वरम्

Transliteration

snānaṃ kṛtvā hrade tatra dṛṣṭvā śūleśvaraṃ vibhum | rudralokaṃ narā yāṃti tyaktvā saṃsāragahvaram

Translation

ครั้นอาบสนานในสระนั้นแล้ว และได้ถวายทัศนะต่อพระศูเลศวรผู้ทรงเดชานุภาพ มนุษย์ย่อมไปสู่โลกของพระรุทระ ละทิ้งหุบเหวลึกแห่งสังสารวัฏ

Word by Word

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे कर्म (कृत्वा इत्यस्य)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृत्वा (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभावरूपं कृदन्तम्; क्त्वान्त (gerund)

• ह्रदे: in the lake
• ह्रदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

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

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृष्ट्वा (कृदन्त; √दृश् (धातु) त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (gerund)

• शूलेश्वरम्: Śūleśvara
• शूलेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; शूल + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शूलस्य ईश्वरः)

• विभुम्: the mighty; all-pervading
• विभुम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (शूलेश्वरम्)

• रुद्रलोकम्: Rudra’s world
• रुद्रलोकम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्रलोक (प्रातिपदिक; रुद्र + लोक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रस्य लोकः)

• नराः: men; people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्यक्त्वा (कृदन्त; √त्यज् (धातु) त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (gerund)

• संसारगह्वरम्: the abyss of worldly existence
• संसारगह्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसारगह्वर (प्रातिपदिक; संसार + गह्वर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (संसारस्य गह्वरम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūla-hrada and Śūleśvara

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees emerge from a sacred lake, water dripping, then approach a Śiva liṅga shrine of Śūleśvara; above, a subtle vision of Rudraloka—radiant, ash-white, with Śiva’s presence—symbolizes the promised destination.

Characters & Entities

• Śūleśvara
• Rudra-loka
• Hrada (sacred lake/pond)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual bathing joined with Śiva-darśana is depicted as a liberating act that carries the devotee beyond saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The hrada before Śūleśvara/Śūleśa and the darśana of Śūleśvara in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna in the hrada followed by darśana of Śūleśvara.