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

پھر بھگوان رودر نے آشرم کی جگہ کو دیکھ کر، برہنہ حالت میں، ہاتھ میں کاسۂ کَپال لیے، بھیک کے لیے اس میں داخل ہوا۔

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.