Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । यदा दाक्षायणी चाग्नौ पतिता यज्ञकर्मणि । दक्षस्य च महाभागा तिरोधानगता सती

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | yadā dākṣāyaṇī cāgnau patitā yajñakarmaṇi | dakṣasya ca mahābhāgā tirodhānagatā satī

Translation

Les ṛṣis dirent : «Lorsque Dākṣāyaṇī (Satī), fille de Dakṣa, tomba dans le feu sacrificiel au cours du rite du yajña, et que la noble Satī disparut aux regards—»

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adverbial (काल-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: when)

• दाक्षायणी: Dākṣāyaṇī (Satī)
• दाक्षायणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्षायणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अग्नौ: in the fire
• अग्नौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• पतिता: fallen
• पतिता: Predicate participle (विशेषणवत्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past participle, active sense); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (दाक्षायणी-विशेषणम्)

• यज्ञकर्मणि: in the sacrificial rite
• यज्ञकर्मणि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञस्य कर्म)

• दक्षस्य: of Dakṣa
• दक्षस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• महाभागा: most fortunate/noble
• महाभागा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (महान् भागः यस्याः)

• तिरोधानगता: gone into concealment
• तिरोधानगता: Predicate participle (विशेषणवत्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तिरोधान + गत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gata = gone); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्वितीया-तत्पुरुषः/उपपद-समासः (तिरोधानं गता)

• सती: Satī
• सती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सती (प्रातिपदिक; सत्-शब्दस्य स्त्री)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacrificial hall with blazing agni; Satī (Dākṣāyaṇī) steps into the fire during the yajña; shocked sages and officiants freeze; the atmosphere is heavy with impending cosmic consequence as she vanishes from sight.

Characters & Entities

• Dākṣāyaṇī (Satī)
• Dakṣa
• Yajña (sacrifice)
• Agni (sacrificial fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ego-driven ritualism (yajña without humility and devotion) leads to spiritual rupture, while dharma ultimately restores divine order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kedārakhaṇḍa, the narrative frame supports the sanctity of the Himalayan Kedāra region, though this verse itself names no tirtha explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse references a yajña as narrative context, not as a prescription.