Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तत्र क्षेत्रे नरः स्नात्वा अथवार्कस्थले शुभे । मृदा शुक्ल तिलैश्चैव कपिलासंगमे शुभे

Transliteration

tatra kṣetre naraḥ snātvā athavārkasthale śubhe | mṛdā śukla tilaiścaiva kapilāsaṃgame śubhe

Translation

En ce kṣetra sacré, après s’être baigné—ou bien à l’heureux Arkasthala—qu’on accomplisse le rite avec une terre purificatrice et du sésame blanc, au saint confluent de Kapilā.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• अथवा: or
• अथवा: Sambandha (Alternative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle)

• अर्कस्थले: at the place of Arka (Sun)
• अर्कस्थले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• शुभे: auspicious
• शुभे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); स्थल/संगम इत्यादेः विशेषणम्

• मृदा: with clay/earth
• मृदा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• शुक्लैः: white
• शुक्लैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); तिलैः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तिलैः: with sesame seeds
• तिलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• कपिलासंगमे: at the Kapilā confluence
• कपिलासंगमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक) + संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• शुभे: auspicious
• शुभे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); संगमे इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arkasthala; Kapilā-saṅgama (within Prabhāsakṣetra)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at a coastal sacred tract: a confluence marked by simple shrines; devotees bathing, holding small packets of white sesame and purifying earth, with the sun rising over the horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetra (Kāpila-kṣetra)
• Arkasthala
• Kapilā-saṅgama
• Śukla-tila (white sesame)
• Mṛd (purifying earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is enacted through tīrtha-snāna and disciplined ritual materials, aligning body and intention with sacred place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāpila-kṣetra area, including Arkasthala and the Kapilā-saṅgama (confluence associated with Kapilā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe in the kṣetra (or at Arkasthala) and perform the observance using purifying earth (mṛd) and white sesame (śukla-tila) at Kapilā’s confluence.