Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा सहसा तस्मै चुकोप परमेश्वरः । छेदयामास भगवान्मूर्धानं करजैस्तदा

Transliteration

tacchrutvā sahasā tasmai cukopa parameśvaraḥ | chedayāmāsa bhagavānmūrdhānaṃ karajaistadā

Translation

Als der Höchste Herr das hörte, wurde er sofort zornig auf ihn, und dann trennte der Gesegnete (einen) Kopf mit seinen Fingernägeln ab.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; श्रुत्वा इत्यस्य कर्म

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (prior action)

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• चुकोप: became angry
• चुकोप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कुप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• परमेश्वरः: the Supreme Lord
• परमेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• छेदयामास: cut off
• छेदयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Periphrastic perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Apposition (Samanadhikarana/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; परमेश्वरस्य विशेषणम्

• मूर्धानम्: head
• मूर्धानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• करजैः: with fingernails
• करजैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

Speaker

Narrator (Revā Khaṇḍa narrator addressing Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddheśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha / king addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, suddenly wrathful, uses his fingernails to sever one of Brahmā’s heads; devas recoil; the moment freezes between justice and dread.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Parameśvara)
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld by the Lord; arrogance and untruth invite swift correction and karmic consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse forms part of the etiological account leading to Śuddharudra Tīrtha’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; the act initiates the later expiatory wandering and tīrtha-prāyaścitta.