Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

किमिदं युज्यते देव यज्ञेऽस्मिन्कर्मणः क्षतिः । तस्मात्संहर सर्वाणि कपालानि सुरेश्वर

Transliteration

kimidaṃ yujyate deva yajñe'sminkarmaṇaḥ kṣatiḥ | tasmātsaṃhara sarvāṇi kapālāni sureśvara

Translation

ഹേ ദേവാ! ഇത് എങ്ങനെ യുക്തം? ഈ യജ്ഞത്തിൽ കർമത്തിനുതന്നെ ക്ഷതി സംഭവിക്കുന്നു. അതിനാൽ ഹേ സുരേശ്വരാ, ഈ എല്ലാ കപാലപാത്രങ്ങളും സംഹരിച്ചു പിൻവലിക്കൂ।

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचनम्; प्रश्नार्थक सर्वनाम

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘this’

• युज्यते: is appropriate
• युज्यते: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; ‘is proper/fits’

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचनम्

• यज्ञे: in the sacrifice
• यज्ञे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचनम्

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचनम्; ‘in this’

• कर्मणः: of the rite/action
• कर्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचनम्

• क्षतिः: damage/loss
• क्षतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् तसिल्-प्रत्ययः; ‘therefore/from that reason’

• संहर: withdraw
• संहर: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√हृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; ‘withdraw/collect’

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचनम्; (कपालानि इति विशेषणम्)

• कपालानि: skulls
• कपालानि: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचनम्

• सुरेश्वर: O lord of the gods
• सुरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Unspecified (contextually a ritual participant addressing a deity, likely Brahmā addressing Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A concerned ritualist addresses Śiva near the fire altar, gesturing toward skull-bowls (kapāla) that appear as unsettling ritual objects; priests look alarmed; the fire flickers higher as tension rises.

Characters & Entities

• Deva
• Sureśvara
• Kapāla (skull-vessel)
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes safeguarding the integrity of sacred rites; even powerful symbols must align with yajña-vidhi.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya frame, the passage supports the sanctity of local tīrthas by showing how correct ritual conduct preserves their merit, though this verse does not name a single site explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request to retract/remove the kapāla-vessels so the sacrifice is not harmed—i.e., restoring proper ritual order.