Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

विरूपाक्षाय भावाय भगनेत्रनिपातिने । पूषदंतनिपाताय महायज्ञनिपातिने

Transliteration

virūpākṣāya bhāvāya bhaganetranipātine | pūṣadaṃtanipātāya mahāyajñanipātine

Translation

Ehrerbietung Virūpākṣa, Bhava—dem, der Bhagas Auge niederschlug, Pūṣans Zahn zerbrach und das große Yajña des rituellen Hochmuts zu Fall brachte.

Word by Word

• विरूपाक्षाय: to Virūpākṣa
• विरूपाक्षाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरूप + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (विरूपम् अक्षि यस्य)

• भावाय: to Bhāva
• भावाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• भगनेत्रनिपातिने: to the one who struck down Bhaga’s eye
• भगनेत्रनिपातिने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भग + नेत्र + निपातिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भगस्य नेत्रस्य निपातिन् = ‘भग के नेत्र को गिराने वाला’)

• पूषदंतनिपाताय: to (him of) the breaking of Pūṣan’s tooth
• पूषदंतनिपाताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूषन् + दन्त + निपात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पूष्णः दन्तस्य निपातः = ‘पूषन् के दाँत का पतन/भंग’)

• महायज्ञनिपातिने: to the one who brought down the great sacrifice
• महायज्ञनिपातिने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + यज्ञ + निपातिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः: ‘महायज्ञ’ (कर्मधारयः: महान् यज्ञः) + ‘निपातिन्’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: महायज्ञस्य निपातिन् = ‘महायज्ञ को गिराने/विध्वंस करने वाला’)

Speaker

Unspecified (stotra voice within Tīrthamāhātmya narration; attributed to the hymn-reciter in the chapter)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Virūpākṣa/Bhava stands amid the disrupted sacrificial arena: the proud yajña is halted; Bhaga’s eye and Pūṣan’s tooth are shown as symbolic losses; devas look on in fear and eventual reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Virūpākṣa
• Bhava
• Bhaga
• Pūṣan
• Dakṣa-yajña (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual without humility collapses; Śiva corrects sacrificial pride and restores dharma by breaking arrogance, not devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha is part of Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya chapter, but this verse does not name it explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references the ‘great sacrifice’ as a narrative warning; no positive injunction (vidhi) is stated in this line.