Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

विशेषात्सर्वयज्ञेषु जप्यं चैव विशेषतः । कपालानां तु द्वारेण त्वया रूपं निजं कृतम्

Transliteration

viśeṣātsarvayajñeṣu japyaṃ caiva viśeṣataḥ | kapālānāṃ tu dvāreṇa tvayā rūpaṃ nijaṃ kṛtam

Translation

وعلى وجه الخصوص، في جميع اليَجْنَات ينبغي أن يُتلى هذا الذِّكر (japa) بتأكيدٍ أشدّ؛ لأنك عبر وسيط الكَبَالَات (أكواب الجُمجُم) قد أظهرتَ صورتك الذاتية.

Word by Word

• विशेषात्: especially
• विशेषात्: Hetu/Prakāra (Reason/Manner adjunct)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘विशेषात्’ = ‘especially’ (ablative used adverbially)

• सर्वयज्ञेषु: in all sacrifices
• सर्वयज्ञेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (सर्वे यज्ञाः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन (locative plural)

• जप्यम्: to be recited
• जप्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be recited’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (and)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle: indeed)

• विशेषतः: particularly
• विशेषतः: Prakāra-adhikaraṇa (Manner adjunct/प्रकाराधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: particularly)

• कपालानाम्: of the kapālas
• कपालानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (genitive plural: of bowls/skulls)

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

• द्वारेण: through/by means of
• द्वारेण: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन (instrumental singular: by means of/through)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr̥/Agent (Agent/कर्ता-करणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (करण), एकवचन (instrumental singular: by you)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन (accusative singular)

• निजम्: own
• निजम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter accusative singular: own)

• कृतम्: made
• कृतम्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे (made/has been made)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapāleśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close focus on earthen kapālas near the yajña fire; as Rudra-mantras are chanted, a subtle Śiva-form (trinetra, crescent, matted locks) appears as luminous presence emerging from/through the kapāla symbolism.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• kapāla
• yajña
• japa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred symbols and prescribed japa reveal the deity’s presence; form and worship support realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapāleśvara-kṣetra, where the Lord’s form is connected with kapāla symbolism.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Special emphasis on japa/recitation within all yajñas, connected to Rudra worship.