Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

मया शिरो हुतं चाग्नौ तदानीमेव शंकर । अवशिष्टं शिरःशंभो पशोश्च विकृताननम्

Transliteration

mayā śiro hutaṃ cāgnau tadānīmeva śaṃkara | avaśiṣṭaṃ śiraḥśaṃbho paśośca vikṛtānanam

Translation

Vīrabhadra sagte: „Ich habe den Kopf genau in jenem Moment dem Feuer geopfert, o Śaṅkara. Was übrig bleibt, o Śambhu, ist der Kopf des Opfertieres – sein Gesicht verzerrt.“

Word by Word

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन (by me)

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (head)

• हुतम्: offered (into fire)
• हुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘शिरः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (offered/burnt)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात

• अग्नौ: in the fire
• अग्नौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन (in the fire)

• तदानीम्: at that time
• तदानीम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदानीम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (at that time)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (just/indeed)

• शंकर: O Śaṅkara
• शंकर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (O Śaṅkara)

• अवशिष्टम्: remaining
• अवशिष्टम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव-शिष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘शिरः’ (अग्रे) इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (remaining)

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (head)

• शंभो: O Śambhu
• शंभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (O Śambhu)

• पशोः: of an animal
• पशोः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (of an animal)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात

• विकृताननम्: with a distorted face
• विकृताननम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकृत + आनन (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (विकृतम् आननम् यस्य/यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘(पशोः) शिरः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Vīrabhadra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vīrabhadra reports that he cast Dakṣa’s head into the sacrificial fire; only the beast’s head remains—its face grotesquely altered—foreshadowing the uncanny restoration.

Characters & Entities

• Vīrabhadra
• Śaṅkara
• Śambhu
• Agni
• Paśu (sacrificial animal)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Misused ritual ends in loss; yet the divine can reconfigure outcomes to restore order and teach humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is praised in this verse; it belongs to the Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Śaiva narrative framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references offering into Agni (homa) and a sacrificial animal (paśu), but does not prescribe a ritual for the listener.