Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

अथ तस्य कपालं च कापालिक व्रतान्वितः । जगृहे निजकर्मार्थं ज्ञात्वा तं वीरसंभवम्

Transliteration

atha tasya kapālaṃ ca kāpālika vratānvitaḥ | jagṛhe nijakarmārthaṃ jñātvā taṃ vīrasaṃbhavam

Translation

Dann, das Kāpālika-Gelübde befolgend, nahm er jene Schädelschale für seine eigene rituelle Pflicht an, im Wissen, dass sie ein Gefäß aus heroischem Geschick sei.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (conjunctive particle)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• कपालम्: skull
• कपालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• कापालिकः: a Kāpālika (skull-bearing ascetic)
• कापालिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कापालिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• व्रतान्वितः: endowed with vows
• व्रतान्वितः: Karta (as described)/विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रत + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (व्रतैः अन्वितः = व्रतयुक्तः)

• जगृहे: took, seized
• जगृहे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• निजकर्मार्थम्: for his own ritual purpose
• निजकर्मार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज + कर्म + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (निजस्य कर्मणः अर्थः)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वीरसंभवम्: of heroic origin, born of a hero
• वीरसंभवम्: Karma (Object qualifier)/विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीर + संभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (वीरस्य संभवः/सम्भवम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) — inferred for Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrthamāhātmya narration

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānarteśvara-sānnidhya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary ascetic-king adopts a Kāpālika demeanor, holding a skull-bowl with solemn focus; the forest shrine of Śiva is nearby, and the mood is one of fierce renunciation rather than horror.

Characters & Entities

• Kāpālika (vrata)
• Kapāla (skull-bowl)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual discipline (vrata) becomes meaningful when performed with clear knowledge of dharma and purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider passage belongs to the Ānarteśvara vicinity within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The Kāpālika observance is referenced, marked by use of a kapāla (skull-bowl) as part of the vow-practice.