Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

पशवो लकुटैर्हन्युर्यजमानं मृतं हताः । तस्माच्छुद्धैर्यवद्रव्यैर्यजमानः शुभः स्मृतः

Transliteration

paśavo lakuṭairhanyuryajamānaṃ mṛtaṃ hatāḥ | tasmācchuddhairyavadravyairyajamānaḥ śubhaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

കോലുകളാൽ അടിച്ചു ഹതമായ പശുക്കൾ, യജമാനൻ മരിച്ച ശേഷം അവനെ പ്രതിഹിംസിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ ആകുന്നു. അതിനാൽ ശുദ്ധ യവാദി ദ്രവ്യങ്ങളാൽ യജ്ഞം ചെയ്യുന്ന യജമാനൻ ശുഭനെന്നു സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• पशवः: animals
• पशवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• लकुटैः: with sticks/clubs
• लकुटैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लकुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• हन्युः: would/should strike/kill
• हन्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• यजमानम्: the sacrificer
• यजमानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• मृतम्: dead
• मृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) from √मृ, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• हताः: slain/struck
• हताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) from √हन्, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘पशवः … हताः’

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण निपातवत् (ablatival: therefore/from that)

• शुद्धैः: with pure
• शुद्धैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• यवद्रव्यैः: with barley-materials/offerings
• यवद्रव्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यव-द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (यवस्य द्रव्याणि)

• यजमानः: the sacrificer
• यजमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शुभः: auspicious/pure
• शुभः: Visheshya (Predicate adjective/विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्मृतः: is considered/said
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) from √स्मृ; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (is considered)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating within Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacrificial enclosure with a bound animal and a club (lakuta) shown as a moral warning; in the next visual beat, the same animal appears as a spectral figure confronting the yajamāna after death; alongside, pure barley and clean vessels glow as the recommended alternative.

Characters & Entities

• Yajamāna
• Paśu (sacrificial animals)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Impure or harmful ritual rebounds upon the doer; purity of means and offerings is essential for auspicious merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the verse emphasizes ethical purity within ritual practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use śuddha (pure) dravya—explicitly yava (barley) and proper materials—so the yajña remains auspicious rather than karmically harmful.