Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

देहस्योत्सर्जनान्नित्यं नरयज्ञः प्रकीर्तितः । पंचेंद्रियपशून्हत्वाऽनग्नौ शीर्षे च कुण्डले

Transliteration

dehasyotsarjanānnityaṃ narayajñaḥ prakīrtitaḥ | paṃceṃdriyapaśūnhatvā'nagnau śīrṣe ca kuṇḍale

Translation

உடல் பற்றுதலை இடையறாது துறப்பதே ‘நரயாகம்’ எனப் போற்றப்படுகிறது. ஐந்து இந்திரிய-மிருகங்களை ‘வதை’ செய்து—வெளி அக்கினியின்றி—யோகி தலைச் சின்னமும் காதணிகளும் தரிக்கிறான் (உள் யாகத்தின் குறியீடாக)।

Word by Word

• देहस्य: of the body
• देहस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• उत्सर्जनात्: from relinquishing/abandonment
• उत्सर्जनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्सर्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (Adverb)

• नरयज्ञः: the ‘human-sacrifice’ (narayajña)
• नरयज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर-यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक; नर + यज्ञ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• प्रकीर्तितः: is proclaimed
• प्रकीर्तितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-कीर्त् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (indeclinable-like numeral)

• इन्द्रियपशून्: the sense-faculty ‘animals’ (i.e., senses as sacrificial beasts)
• इन्द्रियपशून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय-पशु (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्रिय + पशु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• हत्वा: having slain
• हत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• अनग्नौ: in/at the one without fire (anagni)
• अनग्नौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• शीर्षे: on the head
• शीर्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीर्षन्/शीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (Conjunction)

• कुण्डले: in/at the earring(s)
• कुण्डले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Unknown (Tīrthamāhātmya context; internal narrator not provided in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin stands or sits with serene detachment; five animal forms (symbolizing senses) approach but dissolve into light at his feet; no external fire is present—only a subtle inner flame at the navel/heart. The yogin bears ascetic insignia: a marked head (śikhā/tilaka or shaven crown with sacred mark) and earrings (kuṇḍala) as signs of vow and inner rite.

Characters & Entities

• Five senses (pañcendriya)
• Nara-yajña
• Anagni (without fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True sacrifice is internal: relinquishing bodily clinging and subduing the senses as an ‘inner yajña’ without external fire.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it supplies yogic meaning to the broader tīrtha-mahātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nara-yajña is referenced, but reinterpreted as self-offering and sense-conquest rather than a literal external rite.