Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

तस्मात्कुरु प्रसादं मे तत्र गत्वा कपालकम् । चूर्णं कृत्वा मदीयं तत्तस्मिंस्तोये विनिक्षिप

Transliteration

tasmātkuru prasādaṃ me tatra gatvā kapālakam | cūrṇaṃ kṛtvā madīyaṃ tattasmiṃstoye vinikṣipa

Translation

Deshalb erweise mir Gnade: Geh dorthin, nimm meinen Schädel, zermalme ihn zu Pulver und wirf ihn in jenes Wasser.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्-प्रयोगः), अपादानार्थे/हेतौ (ablatival sense: 'therefore/from that')

• कुरु: do; perform
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• प्रसादम्: favor; grace
• प्रसादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• मे: of me; my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; enclitic form

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable), पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)

• कपालकम्: a skull-bowl; skull
• कपालकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• चूर्णम्: powder
• चूर्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (as result/object: 'into powder')

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव, पूर्वक्रिया

• मदीयम्: mine; belonging to me
• मदीयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मदीय (प्रातिपदिक; अस्मद्-सम्बन्ध)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तत्/कपालकम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देश (referring to the said item)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तोये: in the water
• तोये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विनिक्षिप: place; deposit
• विनिक्षिप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः वि+नि

Speaker

Preta (a departed spirit)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A supplicant spirit or afflicted being implores a compassionate pilgrim: carry my skull-remains, grind to powder, and immerse them into the sacred water of a tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Kapāla (skull/remains)
• Tīrtha-water (saṅgama waters)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate ritual action performed at a tīrtha can aid suffering beings and support liberation-oriented dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred waters at the Hāṭakeśvara confluence region (Gaṅgā–Yamunā saṅgama).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Powdering the skull/remains and immersing them into the tīrtha water as a means to help the preta.