Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा सहस्राक्ष एकोद्दिष्टानि कृत्स्नशः । चकार सर्वदेवानां ये हता रणमूर्धनि

Transliteration

evamuktvā sahasrākṣa ekoddiṣṭāni kṛtsnaśaḥ | cakāra sarvadevānāṃ ye hatā raṇamūrdhani

Translation

असे बोलून सहस्राक्ष इंद्राने रणभूमीवर हत झालेल्या सर्व देवांच्या उद्देशाने विधिपूर्वक संपूर्ण एकोद्दिष्ट श्राद्धकर्म केले।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of manner)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकाल (having done)

• सहस्राक्ष: O thousand-eyed (Indra)
• सहस्राक्ष: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; विशेषण-सम्बोधन (vocative epithet)

• एक: single/one (each)
• एक: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; ‘उद्दिष्टानि’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• उद्दिष्टानि: designated/mentioned (offerings)
• उद्दिष्टानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + दिश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → उद्दिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• कृत्स्नशः: entirely, in full
• कृत्स्नशः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृत्स्नशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/समुदायवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: wholly, entirely)

• चकार: performed/did
• चकार: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वदेवानाम्: of all the gods
• सर्वदेवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• हताः: slain
• हताः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → हत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; ‘ये’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• रणमूर्धनि: on the battlefield (lit. on the head/top of battle)
• रणमूर्धनि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण + मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (मूर्धन्-शब्दः); सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (contextual narrator in Tīrtha-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra (Sahasrākṣa) solemnly performs ekoddiṣṭa offerings for fallen devas on a battlefield’s edge; ritual vessels, kuśa grass, and libations contrast with distant war remnants.

Characters & Entities

• Sahasrākṣa (Indra)
• Ekoddiṣṭa
• Devas
• Battlefield dead

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma extends even to the fallen; offering rites for the dead—whether human or divine—affirms cosmic order and compassion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Gayā-oriented tīrtha-māhātmya flow, though its focus is the rite (ekoddiṣṭa) rather than a new location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ekoddiṣṭa offerings are described as being performed for the slain, indicating a śrāddha-adjacent rite for departed beings.