Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

यज्ञवाटं च दक्षस्य विनाशार्थं प्रहारिणः । रजसा चाऽवृतं व्योम तमसा च वृता दिशः

Transliteration

yajñavāṭaṃ ca dakṣasya vināśārthaṃ prahāriṇaḥ | rajasā cā'vṛtaṃ vyoma tamasā ca vṛtā diśaḥ

Translation

Les destructeurs, frappant pour anéantir l’enceinte du sacrifice de Dakṣa, s’avancèrent ; le ciel fut voilé de poussière, et les directions furent enveloppées de ténèbres.

Word by Word

• यज्ञवाटम्: the sacrificial enclosure
• यज्ञवाटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + वाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (यज्ञस्य वाटः); पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• दक्षस्य: of Dakṣa
• दक्षस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• विनाशार्थम्: for destruction
• विनाशार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विनाश (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्यय; प्रयोजनवाचक (for the purpose of destruction)

• प्रहारिणः: the attackers/strikers
• प्रहारिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + हृ (धातु) + णिनि (कृदन्त) / प्रहारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तृपद (they who strike)

• रजसा: by dust
• रजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• आवृतम्: was covered
• आवृतम्: Kriya (Result state)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (व्योम)

• व्योम: the sky
• व्योम: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्योमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तमसा: by darkness
• तमसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• वृताः: were enveloped
• वृताः: Kriya (Result state)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कर्मणि कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय (दिशः)

• दिशः: the directions
• दिशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dakṣa-yajña site (yajña-vāṭa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṇas surge toward Dakṣa’s sacrificial enclosure to destroy it; dust clouds choke the sky and darkness wraps the directions, signaling doom for arrogant ritual.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• yajña (sacrifice)
• directions (diśaḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual without humility and right devotion collapses; adharma produces turmoil in both society and nature.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa frames the narration (Himalayan Kedāra region), while the episode centers on Dakṣa’s yajña-site as a cautionary sacred history.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it critiques the misuse of yajña by showing its violent unraveling when performed with offense toward Śiva.