Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

तदाप्रभृति राजेन्द्र कपिलातीर्थमुत्तमम् । सर्वपापहरं ख्यातमृषिसङ्घैर्निषेवितम्

Transliteration

tadāprabhṛti rājendra kapilātīrthamuttamam | sarvapāpaharaṃ khyātamṛṣisaṅghairniṣevitam

Translation

അന്നുമുതൽ, ഹേ രാജേന്ദ്രാ, കപിലാ-തീർത്ഥം പരമോത്തമമായി—സർവ്വപാപഹരമെന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധവും ഋഷിസംഘങ്ങൾ സേവിക്കുന്നതുമായിത്തീർന്നു.

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of time

• आप्रभृति: from then onward
• आप्रभृति: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आप्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधिवाचक) — indeclinable meaning 'from (that time) onwards'

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक: राजन् + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कपिलातीर्थम्: Kapilā-tīrtha (the sacred ford named Kapilā)
• कपिलातीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular; विशेषणम् (qualifying कपिलातीर्थम्)

• सर्वपापहरम्: removing all sins
• सर्वपापहरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular; विशेषणम् (qualifying कपिलातीर्थम्)

• ख्यातम्: renowned
• ख्यातम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्यात (कृदन्त; √ख्या (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भावे (past passive participle)

• ऋषिसङ्घैः: by groups of sages
• ऋषिसङ्घैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि + सङ्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• निषेवितम्: frequented, resorted to
• निषेवितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + √सेव् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapilā-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājendra / nṛpottama (king addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene river-ford with ascetics in groups performing japa and homa; the tīrtha is shown as luminous and ‘well-known’, with a king listening reverently to the narration.

Characters & Entities

• Kapilā-tīrtha
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Association with a consecrated tīrtha and saintly presence is portrayed as a direct means of pāpa-kṣaya (diminution of sin).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapilā-tīrtha is explicitly praised as “uttama” and “sarvapāpahara.”

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is specified; the verse emphasizes the tīrtha’s standing and its being regularly visited by sages.