Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

भस्मीभूतांस्तु तान्दृष्ट्वा कपिलो मुनिसत्तमः । जगाम परमं शोकं चिन्त्यमानोऽथ किल्बिषम्

Transliteration

bhasmībhūtāṃstu tāndṛṣṭvā kapilo munisattamaḥ | jagāma paramaṃ śokaṃ cintyamāno'tha kilbiṣam

Translation

അവരെ ഭസ്മമായതായി കണ്ട മുനിശ്രേഷ്ഠനായ കപിലൻ അത്യന്തം ദുഃഖത്തിൽ ആഴ്ന്നു; തുടർന്ന് സംഭവിച്ച ദോഷത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് ചിന്തിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• भस्मीभूतान्: turned to ashes
• भस्मीभूतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्मी + भू (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तान् इति विशेषण; ‘reduced to ashes’

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव, gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• कपिलः: Kapila
• कपिलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• मुनिसत्तमः: best of sages
• मुनिसत्तमः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘मुनीनां सत्तमः’ (superlative epithet)

• जगाम: went/entered
• जगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परमम्: supreme/utter
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; शोकम् इति विशेषण

• शोकम्: grief
• शोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• चिन्त्यमानः: pondering
• चिन्त्यमानः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शानच्/मान-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/आत्मनेपदीय-भावे), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कपिलस्य विशेषण; ‘being thought/pondering’

• अथ: then
• अथ: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक/प्रस्तावार्थक (then/now)

• किल्बिषम्: sin/offence
• किल्बिषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किल्बिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; चिन्त्यमानः इत्यस्य कर्म

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapilāśrama / Sagara-putra-bhasma-sthāna (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a king (rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet aftermath: grey ash heaps where warriors stood; Kapila rises or looks upon them with softened eyes, hands lowered in sorrow, the fiery aura gone; the cave/āśrama feels still and heavy.

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• Sagara-putras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even great sages embody compassion and moral reflection, turning calamity into a path toward purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode functions as the backstory for the sanctifying power of Kāpila-tīrtha in the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse hints at prāyaścitta (atonement), which is elaborated through tīrtha-acts in subsequent verses.