Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

ततो लब्ध्वा कपालं तच्चूर्णयित्वा समाहितः । गंगायमुनयोर्मध्ये प्रचिक्षेप मुदान्वितः

Transliteration

tato labdhvā kapālaṃ taccūrṇayitvā samāhitaḥ | gaṃgāyamunayormadhye pracikṣepa mudānvitaḥ

Translation

Dann, nachdem er die Kapāla (Schädelschale) erlangt und sie mit gesammelt-gerichtetem Geist zu Pulver zerrieben hatte, warf er sie freudig in die Wasser zwischen Gaṅgā und Yamunā.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रमवाचक (then)

• लब्ध्वा: having obtained
• लब्ध्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) → लब्ध्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) from लभ् (to obtain); ‘having obtained’

• कपालम्: skull/bowl
• कपालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘कपालम्’ इत्यस्य निर्देशः

• चूर्णयित्वा: having powdered
• चूर्णयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चूर्णय् (धातु, नामधातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) from चूर्णय् (to pulverize); ‘having crushed/powdered’

• समाहितः: composed, concentrated
• समाहितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + धा (धातु) → समाहित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘समाहित’ = ‘collected, composed’; पुल्लिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्तृविशेषणम्

• गङ्गायमुनयोः: of the Gaṅgā and Yamunā
• गङ्गायमुनयोः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + यमुना (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समासः (copulative): गङ्गा च यमुना च; स्त्रीलिङ्ग-द्विवचनस्य षष्ठी/सप्तमी-रूपम् ‘-योः’; अत्र षष्ठी (genitive dual) ‘of Gaṅgā and Yamunā’

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (locative), एकवचनम्

• प्रचिक्षेप: he threw
• प्रचिक्षेप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; धातुः: प्र+क्षिप् (to throw)

• मुदान्वितः: filled with joy
• मुदान्वितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुदा + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः: मुदया अन्वितः (endowed with joy); पुल्लिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्तृविशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; specific named speaker not present in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā–Yamunā Saṅgama (Prayāga/Triveṇī) (implied)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Having obtained a kapāla, he crushes it into powder with concentrated mind and joyfully casts it into the waters at the Gaṅgā–Yamunā confluence.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Yamunā
• kapāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purificatory action performed with concentration (samādhi-like focus) in a supremely sacred confluence is shown to remove heavy afflictions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sanctity of the region between the Gaṅgā and Yamunā—i.e., the confluence zone (saṅgama)—is highlighted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pulverizing the kapāla and immersing/casting it into the waters between Gaṅgā and Yamunā is the described ritual act.