Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्नृपश्रेष्ठ पुण्यं रुद्रह्रदं शुभम् । यत्र स्नातो नरो भक्त्या गणाधीशत्वमाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | tato gacchennṛpaśreṣṭha puṇyaṃ rudrahradaṃ śubham | yatra snāto naro bhaktyā gaṇādhīśatvamāpnuyāt

Translation

普罗罗私底耶说道：于是，噢诸王之最，应前往那神圣吉祥的鲁陀罗湖（Rudrahrada）。若有人以虔敬之心在彼处沐浴，便可获得在湿婆之众（gaṇa）中为主的地位。

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequencer)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/हेतु-वाचक-अव्यय (then/from there)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; विधि (injunctive advice)

• नृप-श्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृप-श्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन (vocative address)

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'rudrahradam')

• रुद्र-ह्रदम्: Rudra lake
• रुद्र-ह्रदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object of 'gacchet')

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'rudrahradam')

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location marker/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'having bathed' (past passive participle used in active sense)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrumental: with devotion)

• गण-अधीशत्वम्: lordship over the gaṇas
• गण-अधीशत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक) + अधीश (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object of 'āpnuyāt')

• आप्नुयात्: would attain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Result action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudra-hrada

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpaśreṣṭha (the best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pulastya instructs the king about approaching the auspicious Rudra-hrada; pilgrims bathe reverently in a sacred lake under Śaiva emblems, with subtle presence of gaṇas.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Rudrahrada
• Rudra (Śiva)
• Gaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional tīrtha-bathing linked to Śiva grants exalted proximity to the divine community (gaṇas).

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Rudrahrada, an auspicious sacred lake associated with Rudra (Śiva).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go to Rudrahrada and perform snāna there with bhakti (devotion).