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

Tendo dito isso, Sahasrākṣa (Indra) realizou por completo as oferendas ekoddiṣṭa para todos os deuses que haviam sido mortos no campo de batalha.

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.