Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

शिबिरौशीनरोङ्गानि सुतं च प्रियमौरसम् । ब्राह्मणार्थमुपाकृत्य नाकपृष्ठमितो गतः

Transliteration

śibirauśīnaroṅgāni sutaṃ ca priyamaurasam | brāhmaṇārthamupākṛtya nākapṛṣṭhamito gataḥ

Translation

ഉശീനരപുത്രനായ ശിബി ബ്രാഹ്മണാർത്ഥം തന്റെ അവയവങ്ങളെയും പ്രിയമായ ഔരസപുത്രനെയും വരെ അർപ്പിച്ചു; പിന്നെ ഇവിടെ നിന്ന് സ്വർഗ്ഗത്തിന്റെ ഉന്നതസ്ഥാനത്തെത്തി.

Word by Word

• शिबि: Śibi
• शिबि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिबि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• औशीनरः: the son of Uśīnara
• औशीनरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: औशीनर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; विशेषणम् (epithet of Śibi)

• अङ्गानि: limbs
• अङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Plural

• सुतम्: son
• सुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction) — Coordinative particle

• प्रियम्: dear
• प्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'sutaṃ')

• औरसम्: own-born (legitimate)
• औरसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: औरस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; विशेषणम् (born of one’s own body)

• ब्राह्मणार्थम्: for a Brahmin’s sake
• ब्राह्मणार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; समासः: ब्राह्मणस्य अर्थः (for the sake of a Brahmin)

• उपाकृत्य: having offered (as a gift)
• उपाकृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप + कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), उपसर्गः उप- — Absolutive (having offered/done)

• नाकपृष्ठम्: to heaven
• नाकपृष्ठम्: Gati-Karma (Goal/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाक + पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; समासः: नाकस्य पृष्ठम् (heaven’s surface)

• इतः: from here
• इतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपादानार्थक/देशवाचक (ablatival adverb) — ‘from here/from this world’

• गतः: went
• गतः: Kriya (Result state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — PPP ‘gone’, Masculine, Nominative, Singular; वाक्ये क्रियासमानार्थकः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Śibi on a throne or sacrificial platform, resolute, offering his own flesh/limbs (and the motif of giving what is most beloved) to fulfill a brāhmaṇa’s need; devas witnessing, a path of light rising to svarga.

Characters & Entities

• Śibi
• Uśīnara
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supreme charity—even at great personal cost—brings exalted merit; Śibi is held up as an exemplar of dāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse uses an exemplary narrative to glorify dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Encourages giving for brāhmaṇas/dharmic recipients; it is exemplary rather than a procedural ritual instruction.