Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

एवं तु कपिला चैव विशल्या राजसत्तम । ईश्वरेण पुरा सृष्टा लोकानां हितकाम्यया

Transliteration

evaṃ tu kapilā caiva viśalyā rājasattama | īśvareṇa purā sṛṣṭā lokānāṃ hitakāmyayā

Translation

So, o bester der Könige, wurden Kapilā und Viśalyā einst vom Herrn erschaffen, aus dem Wunsch heraus, den Welten Wohlergehen zu schenken.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘एवं/thus’

• तु: indeed; and
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle): विरोध/अन्वयार्थे ‘but/and indeed’

• कपिला: Kapilā (name)
• कपिला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coord. conjunction): ‘and’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण/particle): ‘only/indeed’

• विशल्या: Viśalyā (name)
• विशल्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशल्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• राजसत्तम: O best of kings
• राजसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजसत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समास: राजन् + सत्तम (श्रेष्ठ) = ‘राजसु श्रेष्ठः’

• ईश्वरेण: by the Lord
• ईश्वरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक/adverb of time): ‘formerly/once’

• सृष्टा: created
• सृष्टा: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु) + त (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘created’

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds/people
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• हितकाम्यया: with the desire for their welfare
• हितकाम्यया: Hetu (Cause/Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित + काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समास: हितस्य काम्या (इच्छा) = ‘desire for welfare’; हेतु/प्रयोजनार्थे

Speaker

Unspecified in the snippet (narrator addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapilā–Viśalyā tīrtha (implied)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan/bhūpati)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic-creation tableau: Īśvara manifests two luminous streams—Kapilā and Viśalyā—flowing from divine presence toward the earth, with sages and kings witnessing the sanctifying descent.

Characters & Entities

• Kapilā
• Viśalyā
• Īśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rivers and tīrthas are presented as divine gifts, created for the welfare and purification of all beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapilā and Viśalyā—holy waters/tīrthas within the Revā Khaṇḍa sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse provides theological grounding for the tīrtha’s authority by stating its divine origin.