Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

एवं मीमांसमाना सा शिवरुद्रेतिभाषिणी । अपमानाभिभूता सा प्रविवेश हुताशनम्

Transliteration

evaṃ mīmāṃsamānā sā śivarudretibhāṣiṇī | apamānābhibhūtā sā praviveśa hutāśanam

Translation

Délibérant ainsi, prononçant « Shiva, Rudra ! », accablée par l'humiliation, elle entra dans le feu sacrificiel.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-viseshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• मीमांसमाना: deliberating
• मीमांसमाना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्/मिमांस् (धातु; मीमांस्-धात्वर्थे)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त आत्मनेपदी वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present middle participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘deliberating’

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शिवरुद्रेति: ‘Śiva, Rudra’ thus
• शिवरुद्रेति: Kriya-viseshana (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शिव + रुद्र + इति (पदसमूह)
• Form: उद्धरणार्थक ‘इति’ सहित-समासवत् पदसमूह; ‘śiva, rudra’ इत्यर्थे

• भाषिणी: uttering/speaking
• भाषिणी: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of she)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष् (धातु)
• Form: णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (agent noun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘speaker/uttering’

• अपमानाभिभूता: overcome by insult
• अपमानाभिभूता: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of she)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपमान + अभि-भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘overcome by insult’)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रविवेश: entered
• प्रविवेश: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• हुताशनम्: the fire
• हुताशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुत + अशन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘oblation-eater’ = fire)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa, per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dakṣa-yajña-homa-kuṇḍa (mythic)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Satī steps into the flames while chanting ‘Śiva, Rudra’; the fire envelops her like a luminous veil, onlookers recoil, and the scene holds a still center of devotion amid chaos.

Characters & Entities

• Satī (Dākṣāyaṇī)
• Śiva
• Rudra
• Agni (Hutāśana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembrance of Śiva’s name becomes the inner refuge when faced with grave injustice and dishonor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra forms the larger textual pilgrimage frame, while the verse narrates the cosmic event of Dakṣa’s sacrifice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is prescribed; the verse highlights divine name-utterance (“Śiva, Rudra”) and the sacrificial fire.