Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा तु तां महाभागां कपिलां कुण्डमध्यगाम् । ब्रह्मा लोकगुरुस्तात प्रणम्येदमुवाच ह

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā tu tāṃ mahābhāgāṃ kapilāṃ kuṇḍamadhyagām | brahmā lokagurustāta praṇamyedamuvāca ha

Translation

Seeing the greatly fortunate Kapilā standing in the midst of the kuṇḍa, Brahmā—the teacher of the worlds—bowed down and then spoke these words.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थ (but/indeed)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• महाभागाम्: most fortunate
• महाभागाम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक: महा + भाग)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of ताम्/कपिलाम्)

• कपिलाम्: Kapilā (goddess)
• कपिलाम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• कुण्डमध्यगाम्: standing in the middle of the pond
• कुण्डमध्यगाम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुण्ड + मध्य + ग (धातु/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कुण्डस्य मध्ये गता (one who has gone/stands in the middle of the pond)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• लोकगुरुः: teacher of the worlds
• लोकगुरुः: Karta (Apposition to ब्रह्मा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—लोकानां गुरुः (teacher of the worlds)

• तात: O dear one/father
• तात: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object of उवाच)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed/it is said
• ह: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), कथन-समाप्त्यर्थ/स्मरणार्थ (emphatic/quotative)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (narrating)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapilā-kuṇḍa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, radiant and four-faced, beholds Kapilā Devī standing within the waters at the center of a sacred kuṇḍa; he bows with folded hands as the stuti begins.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Kapilā
• kuṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest cosmic authority models humility and reverence before the divine, establishing praṇāma as the proper response to sacred manifestation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapilā-tīrtha’s sanctity is reinforced by Brahmā’s direct encounter with Kapilā at the kuṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇāma (bowing/obeisance) is demonstrated as the devotional act performed upon beholding the divine.