Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । बहूदकस्य कुंडस्य तीरस्थं लिंगमुत्तमम् । कपिलेश्वरमभ्यर्च्य नंदभद्रस्ततः सुधी

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | bahūdakasya kuṃḍasya tīrasthaṃ liṃgamuttamam | kapileśvaramabhyarcya naṃdabhadrastataḥ sudhī

Translation

നാരദൻ പറഞ്ഞു - ബഹൂദക കുണ്ഡത്തിന്റെ തീരത്തുള്ള ഉത്തമമായ കപിലേശ്വര ലിംഗത്തെ പൂജിച്ച്, ബുദ്ധിമാനായ നന്ദഭദ്രൻ (മുന്നോട്ട് പോയി).

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — Nārada

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — said

• बहूदकस्य: of (the) abundant-water
• बहूदकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — of the ‘much-water’ (abundant-water)

• कुण्डस्य: of the pond
• कुण्डस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — of the pond/pit

• तीरस्थम्: bank-situated
• तीरस्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of liṅgam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीर + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — situated on the bank

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — liṅga (Śiva-emblem)

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of liṅgam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — excellent

• कपिलेश्वरम्: Kapileśvara
• कपिलेश्वरम्: Karman (Object of abhyarcya/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिल + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — Kapileśvara (name of Śiva)

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — having worshipped

• नन्दभद्रः: Nandabhadra
• नन्दभद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दभद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — Nandabhadra

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — then/thereafter

• सुधीः: the wise one
• सुधीः: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुधी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — wise man

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bahūdaka-kuṇḍa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandabhadra, a composed pilgrim, stands at the stone steps of Bahūdaka pond; on the bank under a sacred tree is the Kapileśvara liṅga shrine. He offers flowers and water, with Nārada narrating in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Bahūdaka-kuṇḍa
• Kapileśvara
• Liṅga
• Nandabhadra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage becomes complete when it culminates in Śiva-worship—especially at a famed liṅga on a tīrtha’s bank.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bahūdaka-kuṇḍa and the bank-side shrine of Kapileśvara liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhyarcana (formal worship) of the Kapileśvara liṅga at the tīrtha.