Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 128

Devanagari script

इत्युक्तस्तेन दैत्येन विमृश्य च तदा हरिः । उवाच देहि मे स्वीयं शिरो मुकुटसेवितम्

Transliteration

ityuktastena daityena vimṛśya ca tadā hariḥ | uvāca dehi me svīyaṃ śiro mukuṭasevitam

Translation

Ainsi interpellé par ce Daitya, Hari (Indra) réfléchit un instant puis dit : «Donne-moi ta propre tête, honorée par le port de la couronne.»

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्तः: having been addressed/told
• उक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकर्मणि/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि—“having been told/said”

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दैत्येन: by the demon
• दैत्येन: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• विमृश्य: having reflected
• विमृश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-मृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (proper noun)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देहि: give
• देहि: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी, एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• स्वीयम्: your own
• स्वीयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to शिरः)

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मुकुटसेवितम्: adorned/served by a crown
• मुकुटसेवितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुकुट + सेवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to शिरः); कृदन्त—क्त (सेवित) + समासः—मुकुटेन सेवितम् (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Indra (addressed as Hari in the verse; in the ongoing disguise-episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra (Hari/Śakra) pauses in thought, then asks for the crowned head itself—an explicit, shocking test of the donor’s promise.

Characters & Entities

• Virocana
• Hari (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is tested at the point of highest attachment—status and identity; the story probes whether dāna remains firm even then.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is cited in this verse; it functions as a dharma exemplum within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates a request central to an ethical test of dāna rather than prescribing a rite.