Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

गयातोष्टगुणं पुण्यमस्मिंस्तीर्थे पितामहाः । अमायां सोमयुक्तायां श्राद्धैः कापिलधारिके

Transliteration

gayātoṣṭaguṇaṃ puṇyamasmiṃstīrthe pitāmahāḥ | amāyāṃ somayuktāyāṃ śrāddhaiḥ kāpiladhārike

Translation

Ô Pitāmahas, en ce tīrtha le mérite est huit fois celui de Gayā, lorsque, à Kāpiladhārā, au jour d’amāvasyā uni à Soma (la Lune), on accomplit le śrāddha.

Word by Word

• गयातः: than Gayā
• गयातः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन — ‘from/than Gayā’

• अष्टगुणम्: eightfold
• अष्टगुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट+गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन — द्विगु-समासः ‘eightfold’

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — ‘merit/holy benefit’

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — ‘in this’

• तीर्थे: in the tīrtha
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — ‘in the tīrtha’

• पितामहाः: forefathers
• पितामहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन — ‘grandfathers/forefathers’

• अमायाम्: on new-moon day
• अमायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — ‘on new-moon day (amāvāsyā)’

• सोमयुक्तायाम्: associated with Soma
• सोमयुक्तायाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सोम+युक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — ‘endowed with Soma’ (qualifying अमायाम्)

• श्राद्धैः: with śrāddha rites
• श्राद्धैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन — ‘by/with śrāddhas’

• कापिलधारिके: at Kāpiladhārikā
• कापिलधारिके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कापिल+धारिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — ‘in/at Kāpiladhārikā (tīrtha)’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāpiladhārā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-to-dawn Amāvasyā atmosphere at Kāpiladhārā: pilgrims perform śrāddha by lamplight; the Moon (Soma) is symbolically present though dark; a subtle cosmic scale shows merit ‘multiplying’ beyond Gayā, represented by a distant vignette of Gayā’s phalgu banks.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Kāpiladhārā
• Amāvāsyā
• Soma (Candra)
• Śrāddha
• Pitāmaha(s)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right place plus right time elevates ritual potency; Kāśī’s Kāpiladhārā is proclaimed superior even to famed Gayā under ideal lunar timing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāpiladhārā tīrtha in Kāśī, presented as extraordinarily efficacious for śrāddha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha at Kāpiladhārā on Amāvāsyā, especially when ‘Somayukta’ (lunar conjunction/fitness) is indicated.