Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

तत्तीर्थे विधिवत्स्नात्वा कपिलायाः प्रयच्छति । पृथ्वी तेन भवेद्दत्ता सशैलवनकानना

Transliteration

tattīrthe vidhivatsnātvā kapilāyāḥ prayacchati | pṛthvī tena bhaveddattā saśailavanakānanā

Translation

فإذا اغتسل المرء في ذلك التيرثا على وفق الشريعة، قدّم العطايا إلى كابيلا؛ وبذلك يكون كأنه وهب الأرض كلها، بما فيها الجبال والغابات والفيَافِي والبساتين البرّية.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular; निर्देशक-विशेषणम् (qualifying तीर्थे)

• तीर्थे: in the sacred ford
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular

• विधिवत्: properly, as prescribed
• विधिवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (रीतिवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb 'according to rule'

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त; ल्यबन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) — 'having bathed'

• कपिलायाः: of Kapilā
• कपिलायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन — Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• प्रयच्छति: gives, bestows
• प्रयच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present indicative, 3rd person, Singular; परस्मैपदम्

• पृथ्वी: the earth (land)
• पृथ्वी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/Agentive means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन — Instrumental, Singular

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (लिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, 3rd person, Singular; परस्मैपदम्

• दत्ता: given, donated
• दत्ता: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• सशैलवनकानना: together with mountains, forests, and groves
• सशैलवनकानना: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + शैल + वन + कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; विशेषणम् (qualifying पृथ्वी)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapilā-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājendra (king addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrim completes a ceremonial bath at the ford, then offers gifts with folded hands toward a sanctified presence of Kapilā (as river-devī/cow-symbol/guardian deity), while priests witness the rite.

Characters & Entities

• Kapilā-tīrtha
• Kapilā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity (snāna) joined with charity (dāna) at a consecrated tīrtha magnifies merit beyond ordinary measure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapilā-tīrtha is the site where vidhivat snāna and offerings to Kapilā yield extraordinary puṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vidhivat snāna (rule-based bathing) at the tīrtha, followed by offering/giving (dāna) to Kapilā.