Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तत्र क्षेत्रे नरः स्नात्वा अथवार्कस्थले शुभे । मृदा शुक्ल तिलैश्चैव कपिलासंगमे शुभे

Transliteration

tatra kṣetre naraḥ snātvā athavārkasthale śubhe | mṛdā śukla tilaiścaiva kapilāsaṃgame śubhe

Translation

Dort in jenem heiligen Kṣetra, nachdem man gebadet hat—oder auch am glückverheißenden Arkasthala—soll man am segensreichen Zusammenfluss der Kapilā mit reinigender Erde und weißem Sesam das Ritual vollziehen.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• अथवा: or
• अथवा: Sambandha (Alternative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle)

• अर्कस्थले: at the place of Arka (Sun)
• अर्कस्थले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• शुभे: auspicious
• शुभे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); स्थल/संगम इत्यादेः विशेषणम्

• मृदा: with clay/earth
• मृदा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• शुक्लैः: white
• शुक्लैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); तिलैः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तिलैः: with sesame seeds
• तिलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• कपिलासंगमे: at the Kapilā confluence
• कपिलासंगमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक) + संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• शुभे: auspicious
• शुभे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); संगमे इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arkasthala; Kapilā-saṅgama (within Prabhāsakṣetra)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at a coastal sacred tract: a confluence marked by simple shrines; devotees bathing, holding small packets of white sesame and purifying earth, with the sun rising over the horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetra (Kāpila-kṣetra)
• Arkasthala
• Kapilā-saṅgama
• Śukla-tila (white sesame)
• Mṛd (purifying earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is enacted through tīrtha-snāna and disciplined ritual materials, aligning body and intention with sacred place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāpila-kṣetra area, including Arkasthala and the Kapilā-saṅgama (confluence associated with Kapilā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe in the kṣetra (or at Arkasthala) and perform the observance using purifying earth (mṛd) and white sesame (śukla-tila) at Kapilā’s confluence.