Shloka 41
Puṣkara Sacrifice: Gāyatrī’s Marriage, Sāvitrī’s Wrath, Rudra’s Test, and the Tīrtha-Māhātmya
कथं होमोत्र क्रियते कपाले सदसि स्थिते । कपालांतान्यशौचानि पुरा प्राह प्रजापतिः
kathaṃ homotra kriyate kapāle sadasi sthite | kapālāṃtānyaśaucāni purā prāha prajāpatiḥ
مجلس میں بیٹھے ہوئے کھوپڑی میں ہوم کیسے کیا جا سکتا ہے؟ قدیم زمانے میں پرجاپتی نے فرمایا تھا کہ کھوپڑی سے متعلق (کپالانت) چیزیں ناپاک ہیں۔
Unspecified (narrative/quoted doctrinal statement attributed to Prajāpati)
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Sandhi Resolution Notes: homotra = homaḥ + atra (Visarga to o + Avagraha); kapālāṃtānyaśaucāni = kapālāntāni + aśaucāni (Yan Sandhi)
FAQs
It questions the propriety of performing a homa (fire-offering) using a kapāla (skull vessel), especially in a formal setting like an assembly, and frames it as a problem of ritual purity (śauca).
The verse attributes to Prajāpati the rule that items made from or characterized by a skull (kapāla-antāni) are aśauca—ritually impure—thus unsuitable for orthodox sacrificial contexts.
The passage emphasizes discernment in religious practice: sacred rites should be performed with appropriate materials and within standards of purity and social-religious decorum.