Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

प्रौष्ठपद्यसिते पक्षे षष्ठ्यामंगारको यदि । व्यतीपातश्च रोहिण्यां सा षष्ठी कपिला स्मृता

Transliteration

prauṣṭhapadyasite pakṣe ṣaṣṭhyāmaṃgārako yadi | vyatīpātaśca rohiṇyāṃ sā ṣaṣṭhī kapilā smṛtā

Translation

Apabila pada paruh terang (śukla pakṣa) bulan Prauṣṭhapadī, hari keenam (Ṣaṣṭhī) bertepatan dengan Anggāraka (Mars), dan juga terdapat yoga Vyatīpāta pada rasi bintang Rohiṇī—maka Ṣaṣṭhī itu dikenang sebagai “Kapilā”.

Word by Word

• प्रौष्ठपद्यसिते: in the bright (white) [fortnight] of Prauṣṭhapada
• प्रौष्ठपद्यसिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रौष्ठपद (प्रातिपदिक) + सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); पक्षे इति पदस्य विशेषणम्

• पक्षे: in the fortnight
• पक्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• षष्ठ्याम्: on the sixth (tithi)
• षष्ठ्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्ठी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अङ्गारकः: Mars (planet)
• अङ्गारकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional)

• व्यतीपातः: Vyatīpāta (astronomical yoga)
• व्यतीपातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यतीपात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• रोहिण्याम्: in (the nakṣatra) Rohiṇī
• रोहिण्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोहिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सा: that (tithi)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• षष्ठी: the sixth (tithi)
• षष्ठी: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्ठी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कपिला: Kapilā (named ‘tawny/brown’)
• कपिला: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी इति पदस्य विशेषणम्

• स्मृता: is remembered/called
• स्मृता: Kriya (Predication/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः (is called/considered)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapilā-Ṣaṣṭhī (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic celestial tableau: the lunar day Ṣaṣṭhī marked on a calendar, Mars highlighted as weekday lord, Rohiṇī star emphasized, and the Vyatīpāta yoga indicated; below, Prabhāsa pilgrims prepare for the vrata at Kapileśvara.

Characters & Entities

• Prauṣṭhapadī (Bhādrapada)
• Śukla Pakṣa
• Ṣaṣṭhī
• Aṅgāraka (Mars)
• Vyatīpāta
• Rohiṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Traditional vrata power is tied to sacred calendrics; cosmic order (kāla) is treated as a vehicle of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse defines the Kapilā Ṣaṣṭhī timing; within the chapter it supports observance at Kapileśvara in Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes the qualifying calendar conditions (month/fortnight, ṣaṣṭhī, Mars, Vyatīpāta, Rohiṇī) for Kapilā Ṣaṣṭhī.