Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

तत्तीर्थे विधिवत्स्नात्वा कपिलायाः प्रयच्छति । पृथ्वी तेन भवेद्दत्ता सशैलवनकानना

Transliteration

tattīrthe vidhivatsnātvā kapilāyāḥ prayacchati | pṛthvī tena bhaveddattā saśailavanakānanā

Translation

After bathing there according to rule, one offers gifts unto Kapilā; by that act it is as though the entire earth has been donated—together with its mountains, forests, and wilderness groves.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular; निर्देशक-विशेषणम् (qualifying तीर्थे)

• तीर्थे: in the sacred ford
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular

• विधिवत्: properly, as prescribed
• विधिवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (रीतिवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb 'according to rule'

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त; ल्यबन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) — 'having bathed'

• कपिलायाः: of Kapilā
• कपिलायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन — Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• प्रयच्छति: gives, bestows
• प्रयच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present indicative, 3rd person, Singular; परस्मैपदम्

• पृथ्वी: the earth (land)
• पृथ्वी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/Agentive means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन — Instrumental, Singular

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (लिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, 3rd person, Singular; परस्मैपदम्

• दत्ता: given, donated
• दत्ता: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• सशैलवनकानना: together with mountains, forests, and groves
• सशैलवनकानना: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + शैल + वन + कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; विशेषणम् (qualifying पृथ्वी)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapilā-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājendra (king addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrim completes a ceremonial bath at the ford, then offers gifts with folded hands toward a sanctified presence of Kapilā (as river-devī/cow-symbol/guardian deity), while priests witness the rite.

Characters & Entities

• Kapilā-tīrtha
• Kapilā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity (snāna) joined with charity (dāna) at a consecrated tīrtha magnifies merit beyond ordinary measure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapilā-tīrtha is the site where vidhivat snāna and offerings to Kapilā yield extraordinary puṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vidhivat snāna (rule-based bathing) at the tīrtha, followed by offering/giving (dāna) to Kapilā.