Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

नरास्थिभूषणे तस्मि न्गन्धर्वेण हते युधि । तदा कपालस्फोटोऽसौ तत्पदं समवाप्तवान्

Transliteration

narāsthibhūṣaṇe tasmi ngandharveṇa hate yudhi | tadā kapālasphoṭo'sau tatpadaṃ samavāptavān

Translation

Lorsque Narāsthibhūṣaṇa fut tué au combat par un Gandharva, à cet instant même Kapālasphoṭa atteignit cet état, ce destin.

Word by Word

• नरास्थिभूषणे: in/at (the one) adorned with human bones
• नरास्थिभूषणे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अस्थि + भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नराणाम् अस्थीनि = नरास्थि; नरास्थिभिः भूषणम्)

• तस्मिन्: in him/therein
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गन्धर्वेण: by a Gandharva
• गन्धर्वेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• हते: when (he was) slain
• हते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तस्मिन्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• युधि: in battle
• युधि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युध् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• कपालस्फोटः: the splitting/cracking of the skull
• कपालस्फोटः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल + स्फोट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कपालस्य स्फोटः)

• असौ: that one/he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तत्पदम्: that state/position
• तत्पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (‘तत् पदम्’ = that state/position)

• समवाप्तवान्: attained/obtained
• समवाप्तवान्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव्/आप् (धातु) → अवाप्त (कृदन्त) + वत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्त (क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त, perfective past participle used finitely); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced from Purāṇic narrative style in Brāhma Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra / Setubandha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (typical frame; not explicit here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A battlefield moment: Narāsthibhūṣaṇa falls struck by a Gandharva; simultaneously, the figure Kapālasphoṭa is shown receiving a transformed ‘state’—suggested by a shift in aura, attendants, or a symbolic gateway to another realm.

Characters & Entities

• Narāsthibhūṣaṇa
• Gandharva
• Kapālasphoṭa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions and prior causes (karma) ripen swiftly—major events like death in battle can immediately precipitate a destined spiritual or existential change.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Setu-kṣetra (Rāmeśvaram/Setu region) in the Setukhaṇḍa, though this verse itself is a narrative link rather than direct tīrtha-praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is stated in this verse.