Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

मत्स्योदर्याः परापेतुः सहस्राणि षडेव हि । कपालमोचनात्सप्त शतान्यभ्यागता द्विजाः

Transliteration

matsyodaryāḥ parāpetuḥ sahasrāṇi ṣaḍeva hi | kapālamocanātsapta śatānyabhyāgatā dvijāḥ

Translation

De Matsyodarī vinrent, en vérité, six mille; et de Kapālamocana arrivèrent sept cents dvija.

Word by Word

• मत्स्य-उदर्याः: from Matsyodarī
• मत्स्य-उदर्याः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य + उदरी (प्रातिपदिक; स्थान/नदी-नाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मत्स्यस्य उदरी)

• पर-अपेतुः: departed / went forth
• पर-अपेतुः: Kriya (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि/परा + इ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma/Measure (Count)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• षट्: six
• षट्: Visheshana (Numerical qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः; (here) सहस्राणि-विशेषणम् (six)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle of emphasis)

• हि: for, indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; causal/emphatic)

• कपाल-मोचनात्: from Kapālamocana (tīrtha)
• कपाल-मोचनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल + मोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कपालस्य मोचनम्)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Numerical qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः; शतानि-विशेषणम्

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karma/Measure (Count)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अभ्यागताः: having come, arrived
• अभ्यागताः: Karta (Implied subject: द्विजाः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि + आ + गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• द्विजाः: Brahmins / twice-born
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Matsyodarī; Kapālamocana

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims from Matsyodarī (large group) and Kapālamocana (smaller group) arrive with offerings; a symbolic skull-bowl (kapāla) is shown being ritually set aside, indicating release; Gaṅgā ghāṭa steps and lamps frame the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Śiva
• Matsyodarī
• Kapālamocana
• Dvijas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas linked with purification (like Kapālamocana) feed into Kāśī’s overarching promise of Śiva-centered merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Matsyodarī and Kapālamocana are highlighted as sacred sites from which pilgrims proceed toward Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated, though Kapālamocana implies purificatory practice such as snāna and worship customary at such tīrthas.