Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

पुनः पुनः प्रवृत्तानि व्यपनीतान्यपि प्रभो । अस्मिन्नसंशयं स्थाने कपालेश्वरनामभृत्

Transliteration

punaḥ punaḥ pravṛttāni vyapanītānyapi prabho | asminnasaṃśayaṃ sthāne kapāleśvaranāmabhṛt

Translation

ഹേ പ്രഭോ! നീക്കിക്കളഞ്ഞാലും അവ വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും ഉദ്ഭവിക്കുന്നു. അതിനാൽ സംശയമില്ലാതെ ഈ സ്ഥലത്ത് നിങ്ങൾ ‘കപാലേശ്വരൻ’ എന്ന നാമം ധരിക്കണമേ.

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/आवृत्ति-अव्यय (adverb of repetition)

• पुनः: again and again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: आवृत्ति-अव्यय (repetition)

• प्रवृत्तानि: arisen / occurred
• प्रवृत्तानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवृत्त (कृदन्त; वृत्-धातु)
• Form: भूतकृत् (Past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (कपालानि इति) विशेषण

• व्यपनीतानि: removed / taken away
• व्यपनीतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यपनीत (कृदन्त; नी-धातु)
• Form: भूतकृत् (Past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• अपि: even / also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-कारक (particle: even/also)

• प्रभो: O lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• असंशयम्: undoubtedly
• असंशयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः; नपुंसक-एकवचन-द्वितीया रूपेण अव्ययवत् (adverb: without doubt)

• स्थाने: in the place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कपालेश्वरनामभृत्: (he) bearing the name ‘Kapāleśvara’
• कपालेश्वरनामभृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपालेश्वर-नामन्-भृत् (प्रातिपदिक; भृत् = √भृ धातु-आधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कपालेश्वर इति नाम यस्य सः (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/बहुव्रीह्यर्थक विशेषण); भृत्-प्रत्ययान्त (bearing)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis (continuing request)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapāleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up narrative emphasis: attendants remove skulls, yet they reappear; brāhmaṇas point in astonishment; Śiva is invoked to accept the name Kapāleśvara, sealing the site’s identity.

Characters & Entities

• Kapāleśvara
• Prabhu (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred site’s recurring signs become the basis for divine naming, anchoring memory, worship, and sanctity in geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapāleśvara-sthāna within Prabhāsakṣetra, marked by the repeated appearance of kapālas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse establishes the deity’s epithet and the site’s identity.