Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

सशिरस्कंप्रदातव्यमिति ब्रह्मा पुराब्रवीत् । महोग्राणां च दातव्यमशिरस्कमपि स्फुटम्

Transliteration

saśiraskaṃpradātavyamiti brahmā purābravīt | mahogrāṇāṃ ca dātavyamaśiraskamapi sphuṭam

Translation

«Il faut l’offrir avec la tête (c’est-à-dire au complet)», déclara jadis Brahmā. Mais pour les divinités très terribles (mahogra), il convient de l’offrir même sans la tête — cela est énoncé clairement.

Word by Word

• sa-śiraskam: with the head (attached)
• sa-śiraskam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (सह/स प्रातिपदिक) + śiras (शिरस् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सहितं शिरसा)

• pradātavyam: should be given
• pradātavyam: Vidhi (Injunctive predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-dā (दा धातु) + tavya (तव्य प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (gerundive: 'to be given')

• iti: thus
• iti: Vakya-sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (ब्रह्मन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• purā: formerly, once
• purā: Kala-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (ब्रू धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• mahā-ugrāṇām: of the very fierce ones
• mahā-ugrāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + ugra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान्तः उग्राः)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• dātavyam: should be given
• dātavyam: Vidhi (Injunctive predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (दा धातु) + tavya (तव्य प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• a-śiraskam: headless, without the head
• a-śiraskam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a (नञ्) + śiras (शिरस् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नञ्-समासः: अशिरस्क = शिरो-रहित)

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपि (also/even)

• sphuṭam: clearly, explicitly
• sphuṭam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sphuṭa (स्फुट प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् (क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण), स्पष्टार्थे (clearly)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) speaking to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā (or an authoritative sage citing Brahmā) declares a rule about offerings: a complete offering for ordinary contexts, and a distinct, austere offering for fierce deities; visual contrast between saumya altar and ugra shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offerings must match the deity and the rite: dharma is precise, and correct form safeguards both devotee and ritual purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse concerns normative ritual distinctions for different classes of deities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A rule distinguishing offerings made ‘with head’ (complete) versus ‘without head’ (head excluded), especially for mahogra deities.