Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्यज्ञेऽवदानैश्च यजने असुरान्सुरान् । मनुष्यांश्चैव त्रिशिरा अपरोक्षं शचीपतेः

Transliteration

tasminyajñe'vadānaiśca yajane asurānsurān | manuṣyāṃścaiva triśirā aparokṣaṃ śacīpateḥ

Translation

ആ യാഗത്തിൽ ത്രിശിരൻ ആഹുതികളും പൂജാക്രിയകളും വഴി അസുരന്മാർക്കും സുരന്മാർക്കും മനുഷ്യർക്കും പോലും—ശചീപതി (ഇന്ദ്രൻ)്റെ സന്നിധിയിൽ തന്നേ—പ്രത്യക്ഷമായി സേവനം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• यज्ञे: in the sacrifice
• यज्ञे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अवदानैः: with portions/offerings
• अवदानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• यजने: in the act of sacrificing
• यजने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• असुरान्: asuras
• असुरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• सुरान्: devas
• सुरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• मनुष्यान्: humans
• मनुष्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (indeed/just)

• त्रिशिराः: Triśiras (three-headed one)
• त्रिशिराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (त्रीणि शिरांसि यस्य)

• अपरोक्षम्: directly, openly
• अपरोक्षम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपरोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (adverbial accusative: directly/manifestly)

• शचीपतेः: of Śacī’s lord (Indra)
• शचीपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शची + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शच्याः पतिः)

Speaker

Lomāśa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triśirā/Viśvarūpa officiates at a grand yajña, visibly offering to multiple classes—devas, asuras, and humans—while Indra watches, uneasy.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Śacī
• Triśirā (Viśvarūpa)
• Asuras
• Suras
• Humans

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacrificial power must be governed by discernment and loyalty to dharma; misdirected or divided offerings can create cosmic and political imbalance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the focus is on a sacrificial episode within the Kedārakhaṇḍa narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offerings (avadāna) and yajña-performance are referenced generally, without naming a specific sacrifice.