Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

राक्षसीत्वं शिलात्वं च हित्वा स्वं रूपमागते । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन स्नातव्यं कपितीर्थके

Transliteration

rākṣasītvaṃ śilātvaṃ ca hitvā svaṃ rūpamāgate | tasmātsarvaprayatnena snātavyaṃ kapitīrthake

Translation

Nachdem sie sowohl das Dasein als rākṣasī als auch die Versteinerung abgelegt hatten, kehrten sie zu ihrer eigenen Gestalt zurück. Darum soll man sich mit allem Eifer in Kapitīrtha baden.

Word by Word

• राक्षसीत्वम्: demoness-hood
• राक्षसीत्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षसी (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त (state of being a demoness)

• शिलात्वम्: stone-hood (being stone)
• शिलात्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिला (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• हित्वा: having abandoned
• हित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), त्यक्त्वा (having abandoned)

• स्वम्: their own
• स्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आगते: (they two) returned/attained
• आगते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘आगत’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (रम्भा-घृताच्यौ इत्यस्य अन्वयः)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha/Hetu
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-रूप)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयुक्तं सर्वनामरूपम्; हेत्वर्थे (therefore)

• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: with every effort
• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः—सर्वः प्रयत्नः (with all effort)

• स्नातव्यम्: one should bathe
• स्नातव्यम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (should be bathed)

• कपितीर्थके: at Kapitīrthaka
• कपितीर्थके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपितीर्थक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta in Setu Khaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapitīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/dvijas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: on one side, the discarded rākṣasī-shadow and stone-like curse imagery; on the other, the restored luminous forms of the apsarases. A narrator-sage points toward Kapitīrtha, urging pilgrims to bathe with full effort.

Characters & Entities

• Kapitīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is a dharmic remedy: it helps one abandon degraded conditions and recover one’s rightful, pure identity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapitīrtha is explicitly recommended as a must-bathe pilgrimage spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sarvaprayatnena snātavyam—one should earnestly perform ritual bathing at Kapitīrtha.