Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

दक्षयज्ञविनाशश्च कृतो हि परमाद्भुतः । कालकूटं दुःप्रसहं सर्वेषां क्षयकृन्महत्

Transliteration

dakṣayajñavināśaśca kṛto hi paramādbhutaḥ | kālakūṭaṃ duḥprasahaṃ sarveṣāṃ kṣayakṛnmahat

Translation

«Tu accomplis l’étonnante destruction du sacrifice de Dakṣa. Et tu fis face au terrible poison Kālakūṭa—insoutenable pour quiconque—immense et capable d’anéantir tous les êtres.»

Word by Word

• दक्षयज्ञविनाशः: the destruction of Dakṣa’s sacrifice
• दक्षयज्ञविनाशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष-यज्ञ-विनाश (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: दक्ष + यज्ञ + विनाश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दक्षस्य यज्ञस्य विनाशः)

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

• कृतः: was done / was accomplished
• कृतः: Karma (Predicate/कर्म-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (अस्ति/अभवत् इति अध्याहारः)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• परमाद्भुतः: supremely wonderful
• परमाद्भुतः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम-अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: परम + अद्भुत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (परमश्चासौ अद्भुतः)

• कालकूटम्: Kālakūṭa poison
• कालकूटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालकूट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दुःप्रसहम्: hard to endure
• दुःप्रसहम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुः-प्रसह (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: दुः + प्रसह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषः (दुःखेन प्रसह्यते इति/दुरासह)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (सामान्य), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• क्षयकृत्: causing destruction
• क्षयकृत्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षय-कृत् (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: क्षय + कृत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (क्षयं करोति इति)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (कालकूटम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)

Speaker

Kāla

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hymn-like recollection: Śiva’s fierce intervention shattering Dakṣa’s sacrificial arena, and the later cosmic moment of Śiva containing the world-threatening Kālakūṭa within himself—both invoked as proof of his wondrous power.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Dakṣa
• Dakṣa-yajña
• Kālakūṭa (Hālāhala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva protects cosmic order—He humbles arrogant ritualism and absorbs even world-destroying poison for the welfare of beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa’s devotional frame glorifies Kedāra as a locus of Śiva’s saving power and fame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it references mythic acts that inspire worship and remembrance (smaraṇa) of Śiva.