Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

यत्रानया कृतः संगः परकांतेन वै द्विज । तस्मिन्नायतने ब्रह्मा रुद्रशीर्षो व्यवस्थितः

Transliteration

yatrānayā kṛtaḥ saṃgaḥ parakāṃtena vai dvija | tasminnāyatane brahmā rudraśīrṣo vyavasthitaḥ

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജാ, അവൾ പരകാന്തനോടു സംഗം ചെയ്ത അതേ പുണ്യായതനത്തിൽ, രുദ്രശീർഷം (രുദ്രന്റെ ഛിന്ന ശിരസ്സിന്റെ ചിഹ്നം) ധരിച്ച് ബ്രഹ്മാവ് സ്വയം സ്ഥാപിതനായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• अनया: by her/with this (woman)
• अनया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कृतः: made
• कृतः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘made/done’

• संगः: union; association
• संगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• परकान्तेन: with another's beloved (man)
• परकान्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘परस्य कान्तः’ (another's beloved/husband)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• द्विज: O brahmin
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

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

• आयतने: in the abode/place
• आयतने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• रुद्रशीर्षः: (one with) Rudra's head
• रुद्रशीर्षः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + शीर्षन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘रुद्रस्य शीर्षम्’ (having Rudra's head / Rudra-head)

• व्यवस्थितः: situated; established
• व्यवस्थितः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Vaiśvānara (Agni), inferred from immediate context (later verse: vaiśvānaramukheritam)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudraśīrṣa Brahmāyatana (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija (brāhmaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sanctum where Brahmā is established, bearing the emblem/mark of Rudra’s severed head; the narrative points to the exact spot of the woman’s transgression.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Rudra (Śiva)
• Rudraśīrṣa
• Dvija (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a place linked with wrongdoing can become a powerful locus of grace when sanctified by divine presence, pointing to the Purāṇic theme of tīrtha-based purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A shrine/āyatana associated with Rudraśīrṣa (and a nearby sacred water), where Brahmā is described as established with the Rudraśīrṣa mark.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated in this verse; it sets the location’s sanctity that supports later acts like bathing in the associated kuṇḍa.