Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

पर्यष्वजत बाहुभ्यां प्रस्नवापीडितस्तनी । सशल्यं पुत्रमादाय कापिलं ह्रदमाविशत्

Transliteration

paryaṣvajata bāhubhyāṃ prasnavāpīḍitastanī | saśalyaṃ putramādāya kāpilaṃ hradamāviśat

Translation

Sie umschlang ihn mit beiden Armen—die Brüste gedrückt, Milch strömte hervor—und, den noch verwundeten Sohn an sich nehmend, betrat sie den Kāpilā-See.

Word by Word

• पर्यष्वजत: (she) embraced
• पर्यष्वजत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-स्वज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः परि-

• बाहुभ्याम्: with (her) two arms
• बाहुभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), द्विवचन (Dual)

• प्रस्नव: flowing with milk
• प्रस्नव: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रस्नव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• आपीडित: pressed
• आपीडित: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-पीड् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• स्तनी: the woman with breasts (i.e., mother)
• स्तनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सशल्यं: still with the arrow/dart
• सशल्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-शल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (सह-शल्यः = having a dart/arrow)

• पुत्रम्: son
• पुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दा (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• कापिलम्: Kapila (named)
• कापिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कापिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• ह्रदम्: lake
• ह्रदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आविशत्: entered
• आविशत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-विश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः आ-

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Āvantya-khaṇḍa style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāpilā-hrada / Viśalyā-tīrtha

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mother clasps her wounded son tightly; milk streams as she carries him toward a luminous lake framed by forest and ascetics, the water shimmering with Śiva-auspicious radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Revāputra (Agni)
• Kāpilā Hrada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred waters and maternal compassion symbolize grace that removes suffering and restores wholeness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāpilā Hrada (the Kāpilā lake) is directly named and set up as a healing/purifying tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, entering/bathing in the Kāpilā Hrada is presented as beneficial, though no formal rite is detailed.