Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

केचिदुल्लंबिता यूपे पाशयित्वा दृढं गले । अधोमुखायै देवेशं विहायात्तं महाहविः

Transliteration

kecidullaṃbitā yūpe pāśayitvā dṛḍhaṃ gale | adhomukhāyai deveśaṃ vihāyāttaṃ mahāhaviḥ

Translation

Einige wurden am Opferpfahl aufgehängt, den Hals fest mit einer Schlinge gebunden, das Gesicht nach unten, da sie den Herrn der Götter verlassen hatten.

Word by Word

• केचित्: some (persons)
• केचित्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क-चित् (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम-प्रयोग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम-शब्दः (indefinite pronoun)

• उल्लम्बिताः: hung up
• उल्लम्बिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-लम्ब् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• यूपे: on the sacrificial post
• यूपे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/Locative) एकवचनम्

• पाशयित्वा: having bound (tied)
• पाशयित्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाशय् (धातु; णिच् causative of पाश्/पश् ‘to bind with a noose’)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having caused to be bound)

• दृढम्: firmly
• दृढम्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) एकवचनम्; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially: firmly)

• गले: at/on the neck
• गले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/Locative) एकवचनम्

• अधोमुखायै: to the down-faced (one)
• अधोमुखायै: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधोमुखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचनम्; समासः: अधः + मुखा (अधोमुखा = ‘down-faced’)

• देवेशम्: the Lord of the gods
• देवेशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: देवानाम् ईशः

• विहाय: having abandoned
• विहाय: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); त्यक्त्वा (having abandoned)

• आत्तम्: taken up, seized
• आत्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘गृहीतम्/उपात्तम्’

• महाहविः: the great oblation
• महाहविः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाहविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचनम्; समासः: महत् + हविस्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A chaotic sacrificial arena: men bound by nooses to a yūpa, hanging and facing downward; the great oblation seized; the unseen presence of the Lord of gods rejected, with ominous signs around the altar.

Characters & Entities

• yūpa (sacrificial post)
• Deveśa (Śiva)
• yajña participants (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual offerings meant for the Divine become corruption when taken with ego; such sacrilege invites severe consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Purāṇic teaching: true yajña culminates in devotion to Śiva, not in self-serving consumption of offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; it references yajña elements (yūpa, haviḥ) to critique impure intention.