Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

लोमश उवाच । एकदा तु तदा तेन यज्ञः प्रारंभितो महान् । तत्राहूतास्तदा सर्वे दीक्षितेन तपस्विना

Transliteration

lomaśa uvāca | ekadā tu tadā tena yajñaḥ prāraṃbhito mahān | tatrāhūtāstadā sarve dīkṣitena tapasvinā

Translation

ಲೋಮಶನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಆ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಅವನು ಮಹಾಯಜ್ಞವನ್ನು ಆರಂಭಿಸಿದನು. ಅಲ್ಲಿ ದೀಕ್ಷಿತನಾದ ಆ ತಪಸ್ವಿ ಆಗ ಎಲ್ಲರನ್ನೂ ಆಹ್ವಾನಿಸಿದನು.

Word by Word

• लोमशः: Lomaśa
• लोमशः: Kartā (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोमश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वक्ता (ऋषिनाम)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• एकदा: once
• एकदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (once)

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• यज्ञः: sacrifice
• यज्ञः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रारम्भितः: begun, commenced
• प्रारम्भितः: Kartā (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र√रभ् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (यज्ञः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• आहूताः: invited
• आहूताः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ√ह्वा (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दीक्षितेन: by the initiated one
• दीक्षितेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीक्षित (प्रातिपदिक; √दिक्ष्-धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• तपस्विना: by the ascetic
• तपस्विना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaśa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast yajña-śālā is prepared: altars, ladles, fire blazing, priests in dīkṣā garments; invitations sent and sages arriving—an atmosphere of formal ritual anticipation.

Characters & Entities

• Lomaśa
• Yajña (sacrifice)
• Dīkṣita (consecrated sacrificer)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacrifice in the Purāṇic vision is grounded in tapas (discipline) and dīkṣā (consecrated intent), not merely outward ceremony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kedārakṣetra in the Kedārakhaṇḍa, though this verse introduces the yajña event rather than a direct tīrtha eulogy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It indicates the commencement of a mahā-yajña and the formal dīkṣā-status of the sacrificer; no specific oblation details are given in this verse.