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

「あなたはダクシャの祭祀を、まことに驚くべきかたちで滅ぼされた。さらに、誰にも耐え難い恐るべきカーラクータの毒—巨大にして万物を滅ぼし得るそれ—をも引き受けられた。」

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.