Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

बहिरुद्गिरयामास यद्दत्तं चेशवर्ज्जितम् । मायूरीं तनुमासाद्य सहस्राक्षो महामतिः

Transliteration

bahirudgirayāmāsa yaddattaṃ ceśavarjjitam | māyūrīṃ tanumāsādya sahasrākṣo mahāmatiḥ

Translation

Er würgte nach außen aus, was im yajña dargebracht worden war, da es unter Ausschluss des Herrn (Īśa) geopfert worden war. Darauf nahm der Tausendäugige, Indra von großem Sinn, die Gestalt einer Pfauhenne an.

Word by Word

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb of place)

• उद्गिरयामास: vomited out / expelled
• उद्गिरयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + गॄ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (neut. accusative singular)

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचनम् (neut. acc./nom. singular)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• ईशवर्जितम्: devoid of Īśa (Śiva), left aside by the Lord
• ईशवर्जितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (‘devoid of/left by Īśa’); नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचनम् (neut. acc./nom. singular)

• मायूरीम्: peahen-like
• मायूरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मायूरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (fem. accusative singular)

• तनुम्: body, form
• तनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (fem. accusative singular)

• आसाद्य: having assumed/attained
• आसाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः

• सहस्राक्षः: the thousand-eyed one (Indra)
• सहस्राक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिः (‘one whose eyes are a thousand’); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (masc. nominative singular)

• महामतिः: the great-minded one
• महामतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (‘great-minded’); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (masc. nominative singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative voice, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A figure expels (vomits) sacrificial food/oblations, signifying rejection; nearby Indra, thousand-eyed, transforms into a peahen—feathers iridescent—preparing to flee or observe covertly.

Characters & Entities

• Īśa (Śiva)
• Indra (Sahasrākṣa)
• yajña offerings

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacrifice that excludes Īśa is spiritually void; devotion is the sanctifying core of ritual, not mere performance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s setting is Kāśī, where Śiva’s primacy sanctifies all rites and pilgrimages.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit instruction: yajña offerings must honor Śiva (Īśa); otherwise the offering is rendered ineffective and leads to humiliation.