Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

पशवो लकुटैर्हन्युर्यजमानं मृतं हताः । तस्माच्छुद्धैर्यवद्रव्यैर्यजमानः शुभः स्मृतः

Transliteration

paśavo lakuṭairhanyuryajamānaṃ mṛtaṃ hatāḥ | tasmācchuddhairyavadravyairyajamānaḥ śubhaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

The sacrificial animals—struck down with clubs—would, as it were, strike the sacrificer after death. Therefore the sacrificer is considered auspicious when the offerings and materials (such as barley) are pure.

Word by Word

• पशवः: animals
• पशवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• लकुटैः: with sticks/clubs
• लकुटैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लकुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• हन्युः: would/should strike/kill
• हन्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• यजमानम्: the sacrificer
• यजमानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• मृतम्: dead
• मृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) from √मृ, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• हताः: slain/struck
• हताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) from √हन्, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘पशवः … हताः’

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण निपातवत् (ablatival: therefore/from that)

• शुद्धैः: with pure
• शुद्धैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• यवद्रव्यैः: with barley-materials/offerings
• यवद्रव्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यव-द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (यवस्य द्रव्याणि)

• यजमानः: the sacrificer
• यजमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शुभः: auspicious/pure
• शुभः: Visheshya (Predicate adjective/विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्मृतः: is considered/said
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) from √स्मृ; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (is considered)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating within Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacrificial enclosure with a bound animal and a club (lakuta) shown as a moral warning; in the next visual beat, the same animal appears as a spectral figure confronting the yajamāna after death; alongside, pure barley and clean vessels glow as the recommended alternative.

Characters & Entities

• Yajamāna
• Paśu (sacrificial animals)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Impure or harmful ritual rebounds upon the doer; purity of means and offerings is essential for auspicious merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the verse emphasizes ethical purity within ritual practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use śuddha (pure) dravya—explicitly yava (barley) and proper materials—so the yajña remains auspicious rather than karmically harmful.