Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

राक्षसीत्वं शिलात्वं च हित्वा स्वं रूपमागते । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन स्नातव्यं कपितीर्थके

Transliteration

rākṣasītvaṃ śilātvaṃ ca hitvā svaṃ rūpamāgate | tasmātsarvaprayatnena snātavyaṃ kapitīrthake

Translation

Ayant rejeté à la fois l’état de démone et celui de pierre, elles revinrent à leur propre forme. C’est pourquoi, de tout son effort, on doit se baigner à Kapitīrtha.

Word by Word

• राक्षसीत्वम्: demoness-hood
• राक्षसीत्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षसी (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त (state of being a demoness)

• शिलात्वम्: stone-hood (being stone)
• शिलात्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिला (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• हित्वा: having abandoned
• हित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), त्यक्त्वा (having abandoned)

• स्वम्: their own
• स्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आगते: (they two) returned/attained
• आगते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘आगत’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (रम्भा-घृताच्यौ इत्यस्य अन्वयः)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha/Hetu
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-रूप)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयुक्तं सर्वनामरूपम्; हेत्वर्थे (therefore)

• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: with every effort
• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः—सर्वः प्रयत्नः (with all effort)

• स्नातव्यम्: one should bathe
• स्नातव्यम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (should be bathed)

• कपितीर्थके: at Kapitīrthaka
• कपितीर्थके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपितीर्थक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta in Setu Khaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapitīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/dvijas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: on one side, the discarded rākṣasī-shadow and stone-like curse imagery; on the other, the restored luminous forms of the apsarases. A narrator-sage points toward Kapitīrtha, urging pilgrims to bathe with full effort.

Characters & Entities

• Kapitīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is a dharmic remedy: it helps one abandon degraded conditions and recover one’s rightful, pure identity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapitīrtha is explicitly recommended as a must-bathe pilgrimage spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sarvaprayatnena snātavyam—one should earnestly perform ritual bathing at Kapitīrtha.