Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

इत्युक्त्वा क्रोधदीप्ताग्नौ महादेवस्वरूपिणि । जुहाव देहसमिधं प्राणरोधविधानतः

Transliteration

ityuktvā krodhadīptāgnau mahādevasvarūpiṇi | juhāva dehasamidhaṃ prāṇarodhavidhānataḥ

Translation

Nachdem sie dies gesagt hatte, opferte sie ihren Körper als Brennstoff in das vor Zorn lodernde Feuer – die wahre Gestalt Mahādevas – durch die Methode des Anhaltens des Lebensatems.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु) + त्वा (ktvā)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• krodha-dīpta-agnau: in the fire blazing with anger
• krodha-dīpta-agnau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krodha (प्रातिपदिक) + dīpta (√dīp + क्त) + agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (क्रोधेन दीप्तः अग्निः—‘fire kindled by anger’; locative)

• mahādeva-svarūpiṇi: (in the fire) having the form of Mahādeva
• mahādeva-svarūpiṇi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahādeva (प्रातिपदिक) + svarūpiṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (महादेवस्य स्वरूपा—‘having the form of Mahādeva’; locative feminine)

• juhāva: offered (as oblation)
• juhāva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hu (हु धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्ण), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (perfect, 3rd person singular)

• deha-samidhām: her body as fuel (faggot)
• deha-samidhām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha (प्रातिपदिक) + samidh (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (देहः समिध् यस्याः/यत्—‘body as fuel’; accusative)

• prāṇa-rodha-vidhānataḥ: according to the method of breath-restraint
• prāṇa-rodha-vidhānataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + rodha (प्रातिपदिक) + vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक) + -tas (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb ‘by means of/according to’); तत्पुरुष-समास (प्राणरोधस्य विधानम्—‘procedure of breath-restraint’)

Speaker

Unknown from snippet (narrator describing the act)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and Ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing sacrificial fire shaped like Mahādeva’s presence; the woman, eyes fixed and fearless, offers her own body as fuel, seated in yogic steadiness, breath restrained; attendants and gods/spirits recoil in awe.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Mahādeva (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It depicts unwavering resolve and the idea that divine presence (Mahādeva) pervades even the sacrificial fire, making actions spiritually consequential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it remains within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s sacred narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

“Prāṇa-rodha” (restraint of breath/life-force) is referenced as the method accompanying the offering.