Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

तीर्थानां संख्यया गुप्तप्रकटानां द्विजोत्तमाः । कोटिरेका तु तीर्थानां कपिलासङ्गमे पृथक्

Transliteration

tīrthānāṃ saṃkhyayā guptaprakaṭānāṃ dvijottamāḥ | koṭirekā tu tīrthānāṃ kapilāsaṅgame pṛthak

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമന്മാരേ! ഗുപ്തവും പ്രകടവുമായ തീർത്ഥങ്ങളുടെ എണ്ണമനുസരിച്ച്, കപിലാ-സംഗമത്തിൽ മാത്രം തീർത്ഥങ്ങൾ പ്രത്യേകം കണക്കിൽ ഒരു കോടി കൂടാതെ ഒന്ന് എന്നു പറയപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तीर्थानाम्: of the sacred fords (tīrthas)
• तीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन

• संख्यया: by number, in count
• संख्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• गुप्त-प्रकटानाम्: of the hidden and manifest (tīrthas)
• गुप्त-प्रकटानाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुप्त (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त from √गुप्) + प्रकट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (गुप्तश्च प्रकटश्च)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Addressed (Vocative sense/सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः)

• कोटि-एका: one crore (in number)
• कोटि-एका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; कर्मधारय (कोटिः एव एका)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• तीर्थानाम्: of the tīrthas
• तीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठीविभक्ति; बहुवचन

• कपिला-सङ्गमे: at the confluence called Kapilā
• कपिला-सङ्गमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कपिलायाः सङ्गमः)

• पृथक्: separately, distinctively
• पृथक्: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapilā-saṅgama

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-uttamāḥ (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wide river confluence at dawn; sages (dvija-uttamāḥ) seated on kuśa-grass, counting/reciting the names of hidden and manifest tīrthas; subtle divine markers (liṅgas, footprints, nāga-holes) hinting at ‘gupta’ sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Kapilā-saṅgama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Confluences (saṅgamas) are especially potent tīrthas where merit concentrates, including both visible sanctuaries and hidden spiritual nodes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapilā-saṅgama is singled out as having an extraordinary and distinct tīrtha-count.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the verse emphasizes the magnitude of sanctity at the saṅgama through numerical glorification.