Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

कपिलायाश्च संगृह्य गोमयं चांतरिक्षगम् । शुष्कं कृत्वाथ संदाह्यं विभूत्यर्थं शिवप्रियैः

Transliteration

kapilāyāśca saṃgṛhya gomayaṃ cāṃtarikṣagam | śuṣkaṃ kṛtvātha saṃdāhyaṃ vibhūtyarthaṃ śivapriyaiḥ

Translation

Les dévots chers à Śiva doivent recueillir la bouse de la vache kapilā (fauve), la faire sécher puis la brûler, afin de préparer la vibhūti, la cendre sacrée.

Word by Word

• कपिलायाः: of a tawny cow (kapilā)
• कपिलायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• संगृह्य: having collected
• संगृह्य: Kriya (Adverbial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु) + सम्- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• गोमयम्: cow-dung
• गोमयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्तरिक्षगम्: that has moved through the sky / airborne (i.e., dried/raised)
• अन्तरिक्षगम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तरिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु, क्विप्/अच्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अन्तरिक्षे गच्छति/स्थितम्)

• शुष्कम्: dry
• शुष्कम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुष्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; गोमयम् इति विशेषणम्

• कृत्वा: having made (it)
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Adverbial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequencer/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• संदाह्यम्: to be burnt
• संदाह्यम्: Karya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दह् (धातु) + सम्- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विधेय—‘दग्धव्यम्’

• विभूत्यर्थम्: for the purpose of sacred ash
• विभूत्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभूति (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः—चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विभूत्यै अर्थः/विभूतेः अर्थम् = for the sake of vibhūti)

• शिवप्रियैः: by those dear to Śiva
• शिवप्रियैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य प्रियाः)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), in narration to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees in a mountain hermitage gather kapilā cow-dung, shape/dry cakes, and burn them in a clean fire-pit to produce vibhūti; the ash is collected in a small vessel for worship.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kapilā (cow)
• Vibhūti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through careful, pure preparation of sacred materials used in Śaiva worship and identity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Kedārakhaṇḍa’s ritual teaching; it does not name a particular tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Collect, dry, and burn kapilā cow-dung to prepare vibhūti for Śaiva use.