Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

विलग्ना जालिमध्ये तु ततः पंचत्वमागता । कालेन कियता तस्य त्रुटित्वा शिरसो ह्यधः

Transliteration

vilagnā jālimadhye tu tataḥ paṃcatvamāgatā | kālena kiyatā tasya truṭitvā śiraso hyadhaḥ

Translation

وإذ علقت في الشباك، وافتها المنية. وبعد حين، انفصل رأسها وسقط إلى الأسفل.

Word by Word

• विलग्ना: stuck / entangled
• विलग्ना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + लग् (धातु) + क्त (लग्न)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त; विशेषण

• जालिमध्ये: in the net’s middle
• जालिमध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जालि (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (जाल्याः मध्ये)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयबोधक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: then/thereupon)

• पञ्चत्वम्: death (lit. becoming ‘five’)
• पञ्चत्वम्: Gati/Karma (Result-object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; भाववाचक (state of being fivefold; idiomatically: death)

• आगता: reached / met with
• आगता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) + क्त (गत)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त; क्रियासमर्थ (आगता = attained)

• कालेन: with time / after time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• कियतā: after how much (time)
• कियतā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कियत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक-विशेषण (qualifying कालेन)

• तस्य: of it / of her
• तस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• त्रुटित्वा: having broken off
• त्रुटित्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रुट् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having broken)

• शिरसः: of the head
• शिरसः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक/अवधारण-निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• अधः: downwards
• अधः: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: अधोवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: downward/below)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Staṃbha-tīrtha

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within the tangled thicket lies the dead barkarī; time passes, and the head separates and drops downward—rendered with restraint, emphasizing impermanence rather than gore.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Embodiment is impermanent; death is described as dissolution into the five elements, preparing the narrative for sacred-place redemption.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; the next verse places the event at the Mahī–Sāgara-saṅgama.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative description.