Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

वह्न्युक्तं विन्यसेन्मंत्रमभिशस्तस्य मूर्धनि । त्रिःपरावर्तयेज्जिह्वा लिहन्नस्मात्षडंगुलम्

Transliteration

vahnyuktaṃ vinyasenmaṃtramabhiśastasya mūrdhani | triḥparāvartayejjihvā lihannasmātṣaḍaṃgulam

Translation

അഗ്നിസംബന്ധമായി വിധിച്ച മന്ത്രം അഭിശസ്തന്റെ ശിരസ്സിൽ സ്ഥാപിക്കണം. പിന്നെ അവൻ നാവിനെ മൂന്നു പ്രാവശ്യം പിന്നോട്ടു തിരിച്ച്, ഈ (തപ്ത ഉപകരണം) മുതൽ ആറംഗുലം അളവ് നക്കണം.

Word by Word

• वह्नि-उक्तम्: uttered with/said by fire (Agni)
• वह्नि-उक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयवत् विशेषणम् ("वह्निना उक्तम्" इति)

• विन्यसेत्: should place/arrange
• विन्यसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √न्यस् (धातु) उपसर्गः वि-
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्

• अभिशस्तस्य: of the accused/one under accusation
• अभिशस्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिशस्त (प्रातिपदिक; √शंस् (धातु) उपसर्गः अभि- क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्

• मूर्धनि: on the head
• मूर्धनि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्

• त्रिः: thrice
• त्रिः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संख्यावाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb of frequency)

• परावर्तयेत्: should turn back/roll back
• परावर्तयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृत् (धातु) णिच् (कारण) उपसर्गः परा-
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• जिह्वाम्: the tongue
• जिह्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्

• लिहन्: licking
• लिहन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लिह् (धातु) शतृ (वर्तमानकृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्तः (शतृ), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; क्रियासहायकः (simultaneous action)

• अस्मात्: from this
• अस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक-प्रयोगे पञ्चमी एकवचनम् (सर्वनाम)

• षड्-अङ्गुलम्: six finger-breadths
• षड्-अङ्गुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् (संख्या) + अङ्गुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; द्विगुसमासः (षडङ्गुल-परिमाणम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn judicial-ritual setting: an accused person seated; a priest/judge places an Agni-related mantra on the head; a heated implement is presented; the accused performs the tongue-turning and licking measure (ṣaḍ-aṅgula) as an ordeal under witness of sacred fire.

Characters & Entities

• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Speech and truth are central to dharma; the tongue is symbolically and ritually examined in truth-testing rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Apply an Agni-related mantra, then perform a tongue action three times with a specified six-aṅgula measure as part of the test.