Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

मृन्मयेषु कपालेषु हविः श्राप्यं सुरेश्वर । अद्यप्रभृति यज्ञेषु पुरोडाशात्मिकं द्विजैः । तवोद्देशेन देवेश होतव्यं शतरुद्रि यम्

Transliteration

mṛnmayeṣu kapāleṣu haviḥ śrāpyaṃ sureśvara | adyaprabhṛti yajñeṣu puroḍāśātmikaṃ dvijaiḥ | tavoddeśena deveśa hotavyaṃ śatarudri yam

Translation

Ô Seigneur des dieux, l’oblation (havis) offerte dans des kapālas d’argile sera, dès ce jour, tenue pour consacrée. Ainsi, dans les sacrifices, les deux-fois-nés (dvija) devront t’offrir—ô Deva, ô Seigneur—une offrande sous forme de puroḍāśa, et aussi le rite du Śatarudrīya, en le dédiant expressément à toi.

Word by Word

• मृन्मयेषु: in earthen
• मृन्मयेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृन्मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; विशेषण (locative plural: in earthen)

• कपालेषु: in bowls/skull-cups
• कपालेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), बहुवचन (locative plural)

• हविः: oblation
• हविः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/विषय), एकवचन (neuter nominative singular)

• श्राप्यम्: to be cooked
• श्राप्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रप् (धातु)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/भाव्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘श्रप्यं’ = ‘to be cooked’

• सुरेश्वर: O lord of gods
• सुरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सुराणाम् ईश्वरः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (vocative singular)

• अद्यप्रभृति: from today onward
• अद्यप्रभृति: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय) + प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; कालवाचक-अव्यय (from today onward)

• यज्ञेषु: in sacrifices
• यज्ञेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), बहुवचन (locative plural)

• पुरोडाश-आत्मिकम्: consisting of puroḍāśa-cake
• पुरोडाश-आत्मिकम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरोडाश (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (पुरोडाशः आत्मा यस्य/पुरोडाशात्मक); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter nominative singular)

• द्विजैः: by the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular)

• उद्देशेन: by (your) designation/mention
• उद्देशेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन (instrumental singular: by/with the intention/mention)

• देवेश: O lord of gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानाम् ईशः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• होतव्यम्: must be offered
• होतव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be offered’

• शतरुद्रियम्: the Śatarudriya (hymn/rite)
• शतरुद्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (संख्या) + रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + इय (तद्धित)
• Form: तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्राय (शतं रुद्राणां स्तोत्रम्/अनुष्ठानम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र होतव्यस्य कर्मरूपे (accusative singular understood)

Speaker

Brahmā (Caturvaktra) addressing Śiva/Rudra (deduced from immediate context of Caturvaktra in v.42 and Tripurāntaka in v.45)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapāleśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacrificial arena where priests prepare puroḍāśa; earthen kapāla-bowls are placed near the fire; Śiva/Rudra is invoked as Deva of devas; Śatarudrīya recitation rises as offerings are dedicated expressly to him.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Rudra
• Śatarudrīya
• dvija
• puroḍāśa
• kapāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts become spiritually potent when dedicated to Rudra/Śiva with right intention and scriptural rite.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kapāleśvara sacred field (kṣetra) described in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering puroḍāśa and performing/reciting the Śatarudrīya in yajña, dedicated to the Lord.