Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

कपालस्फोटनादेष वेतालत्वं यदाप्तवान् । कपालस्फोटनामानमाह्वयांचक्रिरे ततः

Transliteration

kapālasphoṭanādeṣa vetālatvaṃ yadāptavān | kapālasphoṭanāmānamāhvayāṃcakrire tataḥ

Translation

Weil er durch das Bersten eines Schädels den Zustand eines Vetāla erlangt hatte, nannten sie ihn daraufhin «Kapālasphoṭa», den «Schädelspalter».

Word by Word

• कपालस्फोटनादेष: Kapālasphoṭanādeśa (a named one)
• कपालस्फोटनादेष: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल-स्फोटन-आदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘कपालस्य स्फोटनम्’ + ‘आदेशः’ (name/command: ‘Kapāla-sphoṭana-ādeśa’)

• वेतालत्वम्: vetāla-hood
• वेतालत्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेतालत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धित (state of being a vetāla)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• आप्तवान्: (he) obtained
• आप्तवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त (perfect participle/possessive past), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘obtained/attained’

• कपालस्फोटनामानम्: the one named Kapālasphoṭa
• कपालस्फोटनामानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल-स्फोट-नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘कपालस्य स्फोटः’ इति नाम यस्य (name: Kapālasphoṭa)

• आह्वयाम्: to call/invoke
• आह्वयाम्: Kriya-artha (क्रियार्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + ह्वे (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-समर्थ-आदेशरूपेण (infinitival/gerundial in periphrastic construction); ‘to call/invoking’ (आह्वयितुम्-अर्थे)

• चक्रिरे: they did/made
• चक्रिरे: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—काल/क्रमवाचक (then/thereupon)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Setukhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vetālas ceremonially bestow a fearsome epithet on the newcomer—‘Kapālasphoṭa’—as skull fragments and bone ornaments become emblematic of his new status.

Characters & Entities

• Kapālasphoṭa (name/title)
• Vetālas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions create identity and reputation; violent deeds stamp a being with fearful names and consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-kṣetra is the narrative setting; this verse provides etymology within Setu Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.