Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

ततश्च भगवान्रुद्रो दृष्ट्वाश्रमपदं तदा । नग्नः कपालमादाय भिक्षार्थं प्रविवेश सः

Transliteration

tataśca bhagavānrudro dṛṣṭvāśramapadaṃ tadā | nagnaḥ kapālamādāya bhikṣārthaṃ praviveśa saḥ

Translation

แล้วพระภควานรุทระ ครั้นทอดพระเนตรพื้นอาศรม ก็เสด็จเข้าไปเพื่อขอบิณฑบาต—ทรงเปลือยกาย ถือกะโหลกเป็นบาตร (กปาละ) ไว้ในพระหัตถ์

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रमवाचक (then/thereafter)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (and)

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• rudraḥ: Rudra
• rudraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भिन्नपद-सम्बन्ध (apposition to bhagavān)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + ktvā (कृत्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• āśramapadam: the hermitage-site
• āśramapadam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśrama (प्रातिपदिक) + pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (āśramasya padam)

• tadā: at that time
• tadā: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (at that time)

• nagnaḥ: naked
• nagnaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nagna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying rudraḥ)

• kapālam: a skull-bowl
• kapālam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ādāya: having taken
• ādāya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-dā (धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund)

• bhikṣārtham: for alms
• bhikṣārtham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhikṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष (bhikṣāyāḥ artham = for alms)

• praviveśa: entered
• praviveśa: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-viś (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) — deductive attribution

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rudra approaches a quiet hermitage: naked (digambara), radiant yet fearsome, holding a skull-bowl, stepping into the āśrama to beg alms; ascetic women and the āśrama setting react in stunned attention.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Śiva)
• Bhikṣāṭana motif (implied)
• Āśrama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva teaches humility and detachment—appearing as a mendicant, he sanctifies the āśrama and tests inner purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The āśrama within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha-region, made sacred by Rudra’s bhikṣā-visit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhikṣā (alms-gathering) as an ascetic observance; no formal rite is prescribed here.