Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

योऽनेन विधिना कुर्या त्षष्ठीं कपिलसंज्ञिताम् । सोऽश्वमेधसहस्रस्य फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः

Transliteration

yo'nena vidhinā kuryā tṣaṣṭhīṃ kapilasaṃjñitām | so'śvamedhasahasrasya phalaṃ prāpnoti mānavaḥ

Translation

Whoever, by this prescribed rite, performs the Ṣaṣṭhī observance known as “Kapilā,” that person attains the fruit of a thousand Aśvamedha sacrifices.

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Relative pronoun, Nominative singular

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• विधिना: by the prescribed rule/rite
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• कुर्यात्: should perform/do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• षष्ठीम्: the Ṣaṣṭhī rite/vow
• षष्ठीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्ठी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (व्रत/कर्म-नाम) Accusative singular

• कपिल-संज्ञिताम्: called ‘Kapilā’
• कपिल-संज्ञिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपिल (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सं+ज्ञा धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (कपिला इति संज्ञिता) ‘named Kapilā’; Accusative singular qualifying ‘षष्ठीम्’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• अश्वमेध-सहस्रस्य: of a thousand Aśvamedha sacrifices
• अश्वमेध-सहस्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (अश्वमेधानां सहस्रम्) ‘a thousand Aśvamedhas’; Genitive singular

• फलम्: the fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मानवः: a man
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Apposition to ‘सः’

Speaker

Narrator/instructor voice within the māhātmya (phala-śruti)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapilā-Ṣaṣṭhī at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic juxtaposition: the humble Kapilā-Ṣaṣṭhī rite—cow donation and sunrise worship at Prabhāsa—radiates merit equal to a thousand Aśvamedhas, shown as distant grand sacrificial arenas fading behind the luminous simple rite.

Characters & Entities

• Ṣaṣṭhī (vrata/rite)
• Kapilā
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A focused vrata performed correctly can equal vast sacrificial merit, emphasizing inner devotion and prescribed dharma over extravagance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where the Kapilā-named Ṣaṣṭhī observance is proclaimed supremely meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform the ‘Kapilā’ Ṣaṣṭhī rite according to the stated method to obtain extraordinary sacrificial merit.