Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

एवं ब्रुवत्सु देवेषु कपिलोऽपि मुनिर्जगौ । सत्यमेतदुमापुत्र सर्वतीर्थमयी मही

Transliteration

evaṃ bruvatsu deveṣu kapilo'pi munirjagau | satyametadumāputra sarvatīrthamayī mahī

Translation

ദേവന്മാർ ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ മുനി കപിലനും പറഞ്ഞു—“ഉമാപുത്രാ! ഇതു സത്യം; ഈ മഹീ സർവ്വതീർത്ഥമയിയാണ്.”

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: 'thus')

• ब्रुवत्सु: while (they) were speaking
• ब्रुवत्सु: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः (शतृ), पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी-बहुवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute): ‘while (they) were speaking’

• देवेषु: among the gods
• देवेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Locative plural: 'among the gods')

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-निपातः (particle: 'also/even')

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जगौ: said / spoke
• जगौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्; ‘जगौ’ = ‘उवाच/अगायत्’ (he spoke/sang)

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वाक्ये विधेय-नाम (predicate: 'true')

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (this)

• उमा-पुत्र: O son of Umā
• उमा-पुत्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (vocative: 'O son of Umā')

• सर्व-तीर्थ-मयी: consisting of all sacred places
• सर्व-तीर्थ-मयी: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘सर्वाणि तीर्थानि यस्यां/यस्या’ इति भावः) (all-tīrtha-constituted)

• मही: the earth
• मही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (earth/land)

Speaker

Kapila

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahī-kṣetra / Mahī-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda (Umāputra) is directly addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial council: devas speaking; Kapila ṛṣi rises to affirm; Skanda (Umāputra) is addressed respectfully; the landscape below hints at the Mahī kṣetra with water and shrines.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Kapila
• Skanda (Umā-putra)
• Mahī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage tradition is reinforced by multi-source testimony—gods and sages converge in affirming a tīrtha’s greatness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahī-associated tīrtha region, centered on the Mahī–Sāgara Saṅgama.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual is added; Kapila provides authoritative confirmation of the tīrtha’s comprehensive merit.