Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

भक्षितं हि गरं येन दक्षयज्ञो विनाशितः । कालस्य दहनं येन कृतं राज्ञः प्रमोचनम्

Transliteration

bhakṣitaṃ hi garaṃ yena dakṣayajño vināśitaḥ | kālasya dahanaṃ yena kṛtaṃ rājñaḥ pramocanam

Translation

ज्यांनी घोर विष भक्षण केले, ज्यांच्यामुळे दक्षयज्ञ नष्ट झाला। ज्यांनी काळालाही दग्ध केले आणि एका राजाला मोक्ष दिला।

Word by Word

• भक्षितम्: consumed, eaten
• भक्षितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु) → भक्षित (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘भक्षितम्’ = ‘eaten/consumed’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; emphasis/indeed

• गरम्: poison
• गरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; relative pronoun ‘by whom/whereby’

• दक्षयज्ञः: Dakṣa’s sacrifice
• दक्षयज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘दक्षस्य यज्ञः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• विनाशितः: was destroyed
• विनाशितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-नश् (धातु) → विनाशित (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘destroyed’

• कालस्य: of Time (Kāla)
• कालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• दहनम्: burning
• दहनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दह् (धातु) → दहन (प्रातिपदिक/भाववाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; action-noun ‘burning’

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘by whom’

• कृतम्: was done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘done/made’

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• प्रमोचनम्: release, deliverance
• प्रमोचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र-मुच् (धातु) → प्रमोचन (प्रातिपदिक/भाववाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘release/deliverance’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced; narrative continues into v.20)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A composite praise-scene: Śiva with blue throat (Nīlakaṇṭha) recalling poison-swallowing; the shattered sacrificial arena of Dakṣa; and Śiva as Kāla-antaka subduing Yama, while a grateful king is released from a noose-like fate.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Dakṣa
• Kāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is celebrated as the cosmic protector: he absorbs poison, humbles arrogant ritualism, and overpowers Death to save devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra Khaṇḍa setting underlies the praise, but the verse itself recounts pan-Purāṇic deeds of Śiva rather than a localized tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual instruction appears; it is a eulogy of Śiva’s salvific acts.