Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

प्रमादान्मदिरापानदोषेणोपहतात्मनाम् । तद्व्यपोहाय कपिला द्विजानां वहते नदी

Transliteration

pramādānmadirāpānadoṣeṇopahatātmanām | tadvyapohāya kapilā dvijānāṃ vahate nadī

Translation

Für die Zweimalgeborenen, deren Seele durch den Makel des Trunkes aus Unachtsamkeit verletzt wurde, fließt der Fluss Kapilā, um diesen Flecken zu tilgen.

Word by Word

• प्रमादात्: from negligence
• प्रमादात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• मदिरा-पान-दोषेण: by the fault of drinking liquor
• मदिरा-पान-दोषेण: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मदिरा (प्रातिपदिक) + पान (प्रातिपदिक) + दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः (madirā-pāna-doṣa = fault of drinking liquor)

• उपहत-आत्मनाम्: of those whose minds/souls are afflicted
• उपहत-आत्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-हन् (धातु) + क्त → उपहत (कृदन्त) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (upahata ātmānaḥ = whose selves are harmed)

• तत्-व्यपोहाय: for removing that
• तत्-व्यपोहाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + व्यपोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (for the removal of that)

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

• द्विजानाम्: of the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• वहते: carries/flows
• वहते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नदी: the river
• नदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapilā (Prabhāsa region)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful dvija stands at Kapilā’s bank, offering water with folded hands; the river appears as a gentle goddess carrying away a dark stain labeled ‘madirā-doṣa’.

Characters & Entities

• Kapilā (river)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even serious lapses born of carelessness are not beyond correction when one turns to dharmic remedies and sacred tīrthas with repentance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kapilā river-tīrtha within the sacred geography of Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-sevā as prāyaścitta—approaching the river (implying bathing/ritual use) to remove the fault of liquor-drinking.