Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

पौलस्त्य उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्नृपश्रेष्ठ कपिलातीर्थमुत्तमम् । यत्र स्नातो नरः सम्यङ्मुच्यते सर्वकिल्बिषैः

Transliteration

paulastya uvāca | tato gacchennṛpaśreṣṭha kapilātīrthamuttamam | yatra snāto naraḥ samyaṅmucyate sarvakilbiṣaiḥ

Translation

Paulastya berkata: Kemudian, wahai raja yang terbaik, hendaklah pergi ke Tīrtha Kapilā yang mulia; di sana, sesiapa yang mandi dengan sempurna akan terlepas daripada segala dosa.

Word by Word

• पौलस्त्यः: Paulastya
• पौलस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (Nominative); एकवचन

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

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययीभावार्थे (adverb: thereafter/from there)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन; समासः—नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः

• कपिलातीर्थम्: to Kapilā-tīrtha
• कपिलातीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन; समासः—कपिलायाः तीर्थम्

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कपिलातीर्थस्य)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे (one who has bathed)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (Nominative); एकवचन

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: properly)

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (is released)

• सर्वकिल्बिषैः: from all sins
• सर्वकिल्बिषैः: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + किल्बिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (Instrumental); बहुवचन; समासः—सर्वाणि किल्बिषाणि

Speaker

Paulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapilā Tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpaśreṣṭha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Paulastya, as narrator-sage, points the king toward Kapilā Tīrtha; the scene shifts to a clear waterbody with pilgrims bathing properly—hands folded, calm faces—symbolizing the washing away of kīlbiṣa as dark stains dissolving in water.

Characters & Entities

• Paulastya
• Kapilā Tīrtha
• King (listener, unnamed here)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage joined with correct ritual action (snāna) is presented as a direct means of purification and release from accumulated sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapilā Tīrtha, introduced as an ‘uttama’ (excellent) pilgrimage spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking snāna at Kapilā Tīrtha ‘samyak’—properly, with due observance.