Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

वह्न्युक्तं विन्यसेन्मंत्रमभिशस्तस्य मूर्धनि । अंगुष्ठांगुलियोगेन तप्तमाषं समुद्धरेत्

Transliteration

vahnyuktaṃ vinyasenmaṃtramabhiśastasya mūrdhani | aṃguṣṭhāṃguliyogena taptamāṣaṃ samuddharet

Translation

Qu’on place sur la tête de l’accusé le mantra prescrit en référence au Feu; puis, en joignant le pouce et le doigt, qu’on retire le « grain chauffé ».

Word by Word

• वह्न्युक्तम्: the (mantra) called ‘Vahni’ / ‘Vahni’-uttered
• वह्न्युक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (वच् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular); क्तान्त (PPP)

• विन्यसेत्: should place/arrange
• विन्यसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग) + नि (उपसर्ग) + अस्/न्यस् (धातु; √अस् in sense 'to place', causative not used here)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular)

• अभिशस्तस्य: of the afflicted/accursed person
• अभिशस्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिशस्त (शंस् धातु + अभि-उपसर्ग + क्त; 'cursed/accused')
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (Singular)

• मूर्धनि: on the head
• मूर्धनि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन (Singular)

• अङ्गुष्ठाङ्गुलियोगेन: by the joining of thumb and finger
• अङ्गुष्ठाङ्गुलियोगेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गुलि (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन (Singular)

• तप्तमाषम्: a heated māṣa (bean/measure)
• तप्तमाषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तप्त (तप् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय) + माष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular); क्तान्त-विशेषणपूर्वपद

• समुद्धरेत्: should lift out/remove
• समुद्धरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् (उपसर्ग) + उत् (उपसर्ग) + हृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) in the broader frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest places a protective/agni-mantra gesture above the accused’s head; the accused, with thumb and forefinger, lifts a red-hot object from the vessel while witnesses watch.

Characters & Entities

• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred speech (mantra) and disciplined action together are presented as instruments of dharma and truth-testing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Apply an Agni-related mantra on the accused’s head and extract the heated bean using thumb and finger.