Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

यवाः सप्त प्रदातव्या अथवा षड्घृतप्लुताः । मूर्ध्नि विन्यस्तपत्रस्य पत्रे चैवं निवेशयेत्

Transliteration

yavāḥ sapta pradātavyā athavā ṣaḍghṛtaplutāḥ | mūrdhni vinyastapatrasya patre caivaṃ niveśayet

Translation

Seven barley-grains should be given—alternatively, six grains moistened with ghee. For the one with a leaf placed upon the head, those grains should be set in that very leaf in this manner.

Word by Word

• yavāḥ: barley grains
• yavāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या-विशेषण; यवान् विशेषयति (qualifies 'yavāḥ')

• pradātavyāḥ: to be given / should be offered
• pradātavyāḥ: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√dā (दा धातु) + -tavya (तव्य प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्य-कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• athavā: or
• athavā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: athavā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• ṣaṭ: six
• ṣaṭ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या-विशेषण; समासपूर्वपद (qualifies following compound)

• ghṛta-plutāḥ: soaked in ghee
• ghṛta-plutāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghṛta (घृत प्रातिपदिक) + pluta (प्लुत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (घृतेन प्लुताः = 'smeared/soaked with ghee'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'yavāḥ' इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• mūrdhni: on the head
• mūrdhni: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrdhan (मूर्धन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• vinyasta-patrasya: of (one) who has placed a leaf
• vinyasta-patrasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√nyas (न्यस् धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय 'vinyasta' + patra (पत्र प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विन्यस्तं पत्रं यस्य = 'having a placed leaf'); षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies an implied person/agent)

• patre: in/on the leaf
• patre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patra (पत्र प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction 'and')

• evaṃ: thus
• evaṃ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evaṃ (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/in this manner')

• niveśayet: should place / should set
• niveśayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√viś (विश् धातु) णिच् (causative)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: 'cause to be placed')

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn ritual scene: a participant seated or standing with a leaf placed upon the crown; an officiant carefully sets barley grains into the leaf, counting precisely; vessels of ghee nearby; witnesses observe in silence.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous judgment is tied to precise observance—dharma is enacted through careful, accountable ritual action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is mentioned; the verse is procedural rather than geographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Placing a specified number of barley grains (or ghee-moistened grains) into a leaf positioned on the participant’s head as part of the ordeal protocol.