Padma Purana — Srishti Khanda, Shloka 41
Puṣkara Sacrifice: Gāyatrī’s Marriage, Sāvitrī’s Wrath, Rudra’s Test, and the Tīrtha-Māhātmya
कथं होमोत्र क्रियते कपाले सदसि स्थिते । कपालांतान्यशौचानि पुरा प्राह प्रजापतिः
kathaṃ homotra kriyate kapāle sadasi sthite | kapālāṃtānyaśaucāni purā prāha prajāpatiḥ
सभा में बैठे हुए खोपड़ी में यहाँ होम कैसे किया जाए? प्राचीन काल में प्रजापति ने कहा था कि खोपड़ी से बने/खोपड़ी-सम्बन्धी पदार्थ अशुद्ध होते हैं।
Unspecified (narrative/quoted doctrinal statement attributed to Prajāpati)
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Sandhi Resolution Notes: homotra = homaḥ + atra (Visarga to o + Avagraha); kapālāṃtānyaśaucāni = kapālāntāni + aśaucāni (Yan Sandhi)
FAQs
It questions the propriety of performing a homa (fire-offering) using a kapāla (skull vessel), especially in a formal setting like an assembly, and frames it as a problem of ritual purity (śauca).
The verse attributes to Prajāpati the rule that items made from or characterized by a skull (kapāla-antāni) are aśauca—ritually impure—thus unsuitable for orthodox sacrificial contexts.
The passage emphasizes discernment in religious practice: sacred rites should be performed with appropriate materials and within standards of purity and social-religious decorum.