Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तदस्ति चात्र संक्रांतं तस्मात्प्रोक्तं बहूदकम् । कपिलेनात्र तप्त्वा च वर्षाणि सुबहून्यपि

Transliteration

tadasti cātra saṃkrāṃtaṃ tasmātproktaṃ bahūdakam | kapilenātra taptvā ca varṣāṇi subahūnyapi

Translation

Ici se trouve aussi une « saṅkrānti » sacrée (convergence ou transition sainte) ; c’est pourquoi ce lieu est appelé Bahūdaka. Et c’est ici même que le sage Kapila accomplit des austérités durant d’innombrables années.

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• asti: exists/is
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• saṃkrāntam: entered/occurred (as a transition)
• saṃkrāntam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-√kram (क्रम् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; 'entered/occurred/transitioned'

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-प्रयोगः (ablatival: 'therefore/from that')

• proktam: is called/was said
• proktam: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; 'called/said'

• bahūdakam: Bahūdaka
• bahūdakam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bahūdaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; स्थाननाम

• kapilena: by Kapila
• kapilena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; कर्तृ/करणवाचक

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• taptvā: having practiced austerity
• taptvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tap (तप् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having performed austerity)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• varṣāṇi: years
• varṣāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• subahūni: very many
• subahūni: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; 'very many' (varṣāṇi इति विशेषणम्)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-प्रयोगः (particle: 'also/even')

Speaker

Nārada (context continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bahūdaka

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Bahūdaka, a sacred time-transition is marked—priests observe saṅkrānti rites by the water; nearby, sage Kapila performs austerities in a forest hermitage, indicating the tīrtha’s dual sanctification by time and tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Bahūdaka
• Kapila
• Saṅkrānti
• Kāmarūpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tirtha’s sanctity is grounded in both cosmic sacred times (saṅkrānti) and the accumulated power of sages’ austerities (tapas).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bahūdaka in Kāmarūpa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is referenced through Kapila’s practice; no specific vow, bath, or gift is detailed in this verse.