Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

अष्टम्यां च सिते पक्षे चतुर्दश्यां नरेश्वर । स्नापयेत्परया भक्त्या कपिलाक्षीरसर्पिषा

Transliteration

aṣṭamyāṃ ca site pakṣe caturdaśyāṃ nareśvara | snāpayetparayā bhaktyā kapilākṣīrasarpiṣā

Translation

Am achten Tag der hellen Monatshälfte und am vierzehnten, o Herr der Menschen, soll man (die Gottheit) in höchster Hingabe baden, mit der Milch und dem Ghee einer fahlbraunen Kuh.

Word by Word

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (tithi)
• अष्टम्याम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (locative sg)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction 'and')

• सिते: bright (white)
• सिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc loc sg)

• पक्षे: in the fortnight
• पक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (locative sg)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (tithi)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (locative sg)

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• नरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नराणाम् ईश्वरः)

• स्नापयेत्: should cause to bathe / should bathe (someone)
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) (णिच् causative: स्नापय-)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative) (optative, 3rd sg)

• परया: with supreme
• परया: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; विशेषण (fem instr sg)

• भक्त्या: devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (instrumental sg)

• कपिलाक्षीरसर्पिषा: with ghee made from cow’s milk (kapilā-cow milk ghee)
• कपिलाक्षीरसर्पिषा: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिल-क्षीर-सर्पिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सर्पिस्), तृतीया (3), एकवचन (instrumental sg); समास: तत्पुरुष (कपिलायाः क्षीरं तत् सर्पिः)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāpila Tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nareśvara / Pārtha (addressed as lord of men; same listener-frame as 88.1)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Kāpila Tīrtha, devotees perform snāpana/abhiṣeka on a deity (likely Śiva-liṅga in this Śaiva-leaning Revā context) using tawny cow milk and ghee on bright aṣṭamī and caturdaśī; lamps and priests surround the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Kāpila Tīrtha
• kapilā (tawny cow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes potent when aligned with sacred time (tithi) and pure offerings, reflecting Purāṇic emphasis on disciplined bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāpila Tīrtha (Revā Khaṇḍa), where prescribed abhiṣeka is recommended.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

On Śukla Aṣṭamī and Śukla Caturdaśī, perform abhiṣeka using kapilā-cow milk and ghee.