Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

देहस्योत्सर्जनान्नित्यं नरयज्ञः प्रकीर्तितः । पंचेंद्रियपशून्हत्वाऽनग्नौ शीर्षे च कुण्डले

Transliteration

dehasyotsarjanānnityaṃ narayajñaḥ prakīrtitaḥ | paṃceṃdriyapaśūnhatvā'nagnau śīrṣe ca kuṇḍale

Translation

By the constant casting off of attachment to the body, the nara-yajña is proclaimed. Having “slain” the five beasts of the senses—without outward fire—the yogin bears the marks upon the head and the earrings as signs of the inner rite.

Word by Word

• देहस्य: of the body
• देहस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• उत्सर्जनात्: from relinquishing/abandonment
• उत्सर्जनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्सर्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (Adverb)

• नरयज्ञः: the ‘human-sacrifice’ (narayajña)
• नरयज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर-यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक; नर + यज्ञ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• प्रकीर्तितः: is proclaimed
• प्रकीर्तितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-कीर्त् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (indeclinable-like numeral)

• इन्द्रियपशून्: the sense-faculty ‘animals’ (i.e., senses as sacrificial beasts)
• इन्द्रियपशून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय-पशु (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्रिय + पशु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• हत्वा: having slain
• हत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• अनग्नौ: in/at the one without fire (anagni)
• अनग्नौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• शीर्षे: on the head
• शीर्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीर्षन्/शीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (Conjunction)

• कुण्डले: in/at the earring(s)
• कुण्डले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Unknown (Tīrthamāhātmya context; internal narrator not provided in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin stands or sits with serene detachment; five animal forms (symbolizing senses) approach but dissolve into light at his feet; no external fire is present—only a subtle inner flame at the navel/heart. The yogin bears ascetic insignia: a marked head (śikhā/tilaka or shaven crown with sacred mark) and earrings (kuṇḍala) as signs of vow and inner rite.

Characters & Entities

• Five senses (pañcendriya)
• Nara-yajña
• Anagni (without fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True sacrifice is internal: relinquishing bodily clinging and subduing the senses as an ‘inner yajña’ without external fire.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it supplies yogic meaning to the broader tīrtha-mahātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nara-yajña is referenced, but reinterpreted as self-offering and sense-conquest rather than a literal external rite.