Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 117

Devanagari script

तस्मिंस्तीर्थे त्वया तच्च स्थाप्यं शक्र कपालकम् । महेश्वरस्य नाम्ना च पूजनीयं ततः परम्

Transliteration

tasmiṃstīrthe tvayā tacca sthāpyaṃ śakra kapālakam | maheśvarasya nāmnā ca pūjanīyaṃ tataḥ param

Translation

Dans ce même tīrtha, ô Śakra, tu dois installer ce bol-crâne ; puis, dès lors, il devra être adoré au nom de Maheśvara.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तीर्थे: at the pilgrimage place
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent in passive/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object, implied)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र 'कपालकम्' इत्यस्य निर्देशः

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

• स्थाप्यम्: should be placed/installed
• स्थाप्यम्: Kriyā (Obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृत्य (gerundive/passive necessity); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'कपालकम्' इति कर्मणि विधेयम्

• शक्र: O Śakra (Indra)
• शक्र: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• कपालकम्: a skull-bowl; skull
• कपालकम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• महेश्वरस्य: of Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (महान् ईश्वरः); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• नाम्ना: by the name (of)
• नाम्ना: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

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

• पूजनीयम्: worthy of worship; should be worshipped
• पूजनीयम्: Kriyā (Obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: अनीयर्-प्रत्ययान्त कृत्य (gerundive); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'कपालकम्' इति विधेय-विशेषणम्

• ततः: thereafter; from that
• ततः: Hetu/Apādāna (Thereafter/From then)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-रूपम्; पञ्चमी एकवचन; अव्ययवत् (ablatival adverb)

• परम्: afterwards; further
• परम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial accusative)

Speaker

Brahmā (instructing Śakra/Indra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śakra (Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, humbled, installs a skull-bowl at the edge of the sacred waters; priests mark the spot, and a Śaiva emblematic presence is felt—trident, bilva leaves, and a subtle form of Maheśvara presiding invisibly.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śakra (Indra)
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• kapāla
• tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Atonement culminates not only in personal cleansing but in establishing ongoing worship that benefits the place and future pilgrims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The unnamed tīrtha being instructed is the same sanctified site later identified in the narrative context with Viśvāmitra-hrada in the Hāṭakeśvara region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pratiṣṭhā (installation) of the kapāla at the tīrtha and pūjā (worship) performed in Maheśvara’s name.