Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

विशेषात्सर्वयज्ञेषु जप्यं चैव विशेषतः । कपालानां तु द्वारेण त्वया रूपं निजं कृतम्

Transliteration

viśeṣātsarvayajñeṣu japyaṃ caiva viśeṣataḥ | kapālānāṃ tu dvāreṇa tvayā rūpaṃ nijaṃ kṛtam

Translation

എല്ലാ യജ്ഞങ്ങളിലും ഇത് പ്രത്യേകമായി, അത്യന്തം പ്രത്യേകതയോടെ ജപിക്കപ്പെടണം; കാരണം കപാലങ്ങളുടെ വഴിയിലൂടെ നീ നിന്റെ സ്വരൂപം തന്നെ പ്രകാശിപ്പിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• विशेषात्: especially
• विशेषात्: Hetu/Prakāra (Reason/Manner adjunct)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘विशेषात्’ = ‘especially’ (ablative used adverbially)

• सर्वयज्ञेषु: in all sacrifices
• सर्वयज्ञेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (सर्वे यज्ञाः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन (locative plural)

• जप्यम्: to be recited
• जप्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be recited’

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle: indeed)

• विशेषतः: particularly
• विशेषतः: Prakāra-adhikaraṇa (Manner adjunct/प्रकाराधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: particularly)

• कपालानाम्: of the kapālas
• कपालानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (genitive plural: of bowls/skulls)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• द्वारेण: through/by means of
• द्वारेण: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन (instrumental singular: by means of/through)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr̥/Agent (Agent/कर्ता-करणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (करण), एकवचन (instrumental singular: by you)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन (accusative singular)

• निजम्: own
• निजम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter accusative singular: own)

• कृतम्: made
• कृतम्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे (made/has been made)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapāleśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close focus on earthen kapālas near the yajña fire; as Rudra-mantras are chanted, a subtle Śiva-form (trinetra, crescent, matted locks) appears as luminous presence emerging from/through the kapāla symbolism.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• kapāla
• yajña
• japa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred symbols and prescribed japa reveal the deity’s presence; form and worship support realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapāleśvara-kṣetra, where the Lord’s form is connected with kapāla symbolism.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Special emphasis on japa/recitation within all yajñas, connected to Rudra worship.