Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

तिर्यग्योनि मृता ये वै ये पिशाचत्वमागताः । तेप्यूर्ध्वगतिमायांति तृप्ताः कापिलधारिके

Transliteration

tiryagyoni mṛtā ye vai ye piśācatvamāgatāḥ | tepyūrdhvagatimāyāṃti tṛptāḥ kāpiladhārike

Translation

തിര്യക്‌യോണിയിൽ മരിച്ചവരും പിശാചത്വം പ്രാപിച്ചവരും—കാപിലധാരികയിൽ തൃപ്തരാക്കപ്പെടുമ്പോൾ അവരും ഊർദ്ധ്വഗതിയും ഉന്നത ഗതിയും പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तिर्यग्योनि: in an animal birth/species
• तिर्यग्योनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिर्यग्योनि (प्रातिपदिक; तिर्यक् + योनि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (समासान्त-प्रातिपदिक)

• मृताः: dead
• मृताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; मृ धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; PPP

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पिशाचत्वम्: the state of being a piśāca (ghoul)
• पिशाचत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाचत्व (प्रातिपदिक; पिशाच + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• आगताः: having reached/entered
• आगताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आगत (कृदन्त; आ + गम् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; PPP; qualifying ये

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• ऊर्ध्वगतिम्: higher course/destination
• ऊर्ध्वगतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊर्ध्वगति (प्रातिपदिक; ऊर्ध्व + गति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• आयान्ति: they attain
• आयान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; Present indicative, 3rd plural

• तृप्ताः: satiated, satisfied
• तृप्ताः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृप्त (कृदन्त; तृप् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; PPP; predicate adjective

• कापिलधारिके: at Kāpiladhārikā (a sacred place)
• कापिलधारिके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कापिलधारिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (स्थाने/तीर्थे)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapiladhārikā

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Kapiladhārikā, a devotee offers piṇḍa and water; shadowy animal forms and gaunt piśāca silhouettes are shown receiving light and rising upward, symbolizing ūrdhva-gati.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kapiladhārikā Tīrtha
• Piśāca
• Tiryagyoni
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s grace can elevate beings from degraded states when offerings are made with dharmic intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapiladhārikā Tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Propitiatory offerings (implied tarpaṇa/piṇḍa) at Kapiladhārikā to grant ūrdhvagati to troubled or lower-state beings.