Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

केचिदुल्लंबिता यूपे पाशयित्वा दृढं गले । अधोमुखायै देवेशं विहायात्तं महाहविः

Transliteration

kecidullaṃbitā yūpe pāśayitvā dṛḍhaṃ gale | adhomukhāyai deveśaṃ vihāyāttaṃ mahāhaviḥ

Translation

ਕਈਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਯੂਪ (ਯਜ੍ਞ-ਖੰਭੇ) ਉੱਤੇ ਟੰਗ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਗਿਆ; ਗਲੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਫਾਹਾ ਕੱਸ ਕੇ ਬੰਨ੍ਹਿਆ। ਮੂੰਹ ਹੇਠਾਂ ਕਰਕੇ ਉਹ ਦੇਵਾਂ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਨੂੰ ਤਿਆਗ ਗਏ ਅਤੇ ਮਹਾਨ ਹਵਿ ਆਪਣੇ ਲਈ ਹੜਪ ਲਿਆ।

Word by Word

• केचित्: some (persons)
• केचित्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क-चित् (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम-प्रयोग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम-शब्दः (indefinite pronoun)

• उल्लम्बिताः: hung up
• उल्लम्बिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-लम्ब् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• यूपे: on the sacrificial post
• यूपे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/Locative) एकवचनम्

• पाशयित्वा: having bound (tied)
• पाशयित्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाशय् (धातु; णिच् causative of पाश्/पश् ‘to bind with a noose’)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having caused to be bound)

• दृढम्: firmly
• दृढम्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) एकवचनम्; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially: firmly)

• गले: at/on the neck
• गले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/Locative) एकवचनम्

• अधोमुखायै: to the down-faced (one)
• अधोमुखायै: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधोमुखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचनम्; समासः: अधः + मुखा (अधोमुखा = ‘down-faced’)

• देवेशम्: the Lord of the gods
• देवेशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: देवानाम् ईशः

• विहाय: having abandoned
• विहाय: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); त्यक्त्वा (having abandoned)

• आत्तम्: taken up, seized
• आत्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘गृहीतम्/उपात्तम्’

• महाहविः: the great oblation
• महाहविः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाहविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचनम्; समासः: महत् + हविस्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A chaotic sacrificial arena: men bound by nooses to a yūpa, hanging and facing downward; the great oblation seized; the unseen presence of the Lord of gods rejected, with ominous signs around the altar.

Characters & Entities

• yūpa (sacrificial post)
• Deveśa (Śiva)
• yajña participants (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual offerings meant for the Divine become corruption when taken with ego; such sacrilege invites severe consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Purāṇic teaching: true yajña culminates in devotion to Śiva, not in self-serving consumption of offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; it references yajña elements (yūpa, haviḥ) to critique impure intention.