Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

तत्कपालाश्रितं हव्यं कर्तव्यं सकलं त्विदम् । तथा च मां समु द्दिश्य विशषाज्जातवेदसि

Transliteration

tatkapālāśritaṃ havyaṃ kartavyaṃ sakalaṃ tvidam | tathā ca māṃ samu ddiśya viśaṣājjātavedasi

Translation

«ينبغي أن تُؤدَّى هذه القرابين كلّها بوضع الهَفِس على إناء الجمجمة ذاك؛ وكذلك، قاصدًا إيّاي، قدِّم القربان الخاص في جاتافيداس (أغني).»

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देश ("that")

• kapāla-āśritam: resting on a skull-bowl
• kapāla-āśritam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kapāla (प्रातिपदिक) + āśrita (कृदन्त; √śri आश्रये)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त विशेषण; कपाले आश्रितम् (loc.-tatpuruṣa)

• havyam: offering (havis)
• havyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: havya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; हव्य (offering)

• kartavyam: must be done
• kartavyam: Vidhi (Injunctional predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kartavya (कृदन्त; √kṛ करणॆ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; कर्तव्यम् (gerundive)

• sakalam: entire, whole
• sakalam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sakala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• tu: indeed, but
• tu: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय (but/indeed)

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• samu: fully, together (as preverb)
• samu: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samu (अव्यय; उपसर्गवत्)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्-उपसर्गार्थे (together/fully; as preverb)

• uddiśya: having directed (towards)
• uddiśya: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ud-√diś (धातु; निर्देशे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्यय; "having indicated/aimed at"

• viśaṣāt: from the viśaṣa (special portion/ingredient)
• viśaṣāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśaṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative)

• jāta-vedasi: in/for Jātavedas (Agni)
• jāta-vedasi: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jātavedas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अग्निनाम; जातं वेद इति (karmadhāraya)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritualist places the oblation on a skull-vessel and offers it into Agni, while a deity is invoked by name/intention; Brahmā witnesses the unusual but potent rite.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Agni (Jātavedas)
• Kapāla
• Havya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer ritual implements and inner intention must align; dedication (uddeśa/saṅkalpa) gives the rite its spiritual correctness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is instructional within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter and does not name a site explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform the offering using the kapāla-vessel and offer into Agni with explicit dedication to Śiva.