Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 184

Devanagari script

पुरोडाशमयं यज्वा स्रुवहस्तेति नाम च । यमः कालायसमयं नाम प्राह च धन्विनम्

Transliteration

puroḍāśamayaṃ yajvā sruvahasteti nāma ca | yamaḥ kālāyasamayaṃ nāma prāha ca dhanvinam

Translation

യജ്വൻ പുരോഡാശമയ ലിംഗത്തെ പൂജിക്കുന്നു; അതിന്റെ നാമം ‘സ്രുവഹസ്ത’. യമൻ കാലായസമയ (കറുത്ത ഇരുമ്പുമയ) ലിംഗത്തെ ആരാധിച്ച് അതിനെ ‘ധന്വിൻ’ എന്നു വിളിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• पुरोडाशमयम्: made of puroḍāśa (sacrificial cake)
• पुरोडाशमयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरोडाश + मय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मयट्-प्रत्ययान्त (made of), ‘पुरोडाशमयम्’ = पुरोडाशेन निर्मितम्

• यज्वा: the sacrificer
• यज्वा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज् (धातु) + क्विप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्त-नाम (agent noun): यजमानः/यज्ञकर्ता

• स्रुवहस्त: (one) with a ladle in hand
• स्रुवहस्त: Visheshana (Name/epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रुव + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (नामरूपे); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: स्रुवः हस्ते यस्य/स्रुवहस्तः

• इति: thus (called)
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/नामनिर्देश-अव्यय

• नाम: name
• नाम: Visheshana (Appositive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कालायसमयम्: made of black iron
• कालायसमयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कालायस + मय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मयट्-प्रत्ययान्त: कालायसेन निर्मितम्

• नाम: (by the) name
• नाम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘X नाम’ = “(called) X”

• प्राह: said/declared
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• धन्विनम्: the archer
• धन्विनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), addressing the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yajamāna fashions a liṅga from puroḍāśa, named Sruvahasta, evoking the ladle-bearing hand; Yama, stern and just, venerates a dark-iron liṅga named Dhanvin, suggesting disciplined devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Yajvā
• Sruvahasta
• Yama
• Dhanvin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva receives both Vedic-sacrificial devotion and austere, fearsome devotion (Yama’s), remaining the inner Lord of all rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is on forms and names used in worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It points to consecrating yajña-materials (puroḍāśa) and metal forms as liṅgas for worship.