Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । कपालेशस्य माहात्म्यं श्रूयतामधुना द्विजाः । चतुर्थस्य महाभागास्तत्र क्षेत्रे स्थितस्य च

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | kapāleśasya māhātmyaṃ śrūyatāmadhunā dvijāḥ | caturthasya mahābhāgāstatra kṣetre sthitasya ca

Translation

Sūta disse: Agora, ó sábios duas-vezes-nascidos, ouvi a grandeza de Kapāleśa—o quarto venerável liṅga/divindade estabelecido naquela região sagrada.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• कपालेशस्य: of Kapāleśa
• कपालेशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपालेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); समासः: कपाल + ईश (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रूयताम्: let (it) be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive): ‘let it be heard’

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Addressed/सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• चतुर्थस्य: of the fourth
• चतुर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• महाभागाः: O greatly fortunate ones
• महाभागाः: Sambodhana (Addressed/सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः: महा + भाग (कर्मधारय)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्थितस्य: of (one) situated/standing
• स्थितस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapāleśa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijāḥ / sages (Naimiṣāraṇya assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta addresses assembled sages, announcing the Kapāleśa māhātmya; in the mind’s eye, a Śiva-liṅga associated with ‘kapāla’ symbolism stands as the next station in the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Kapāleśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Listening (śravaṇa) to a tīrtha’s māhātmya is itself a dharmic act that opens access to the site’s sanctifying power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapāleśvara situated within the same sacred kṣetra (Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra context) in Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa—hearing the māhātmya—is explicitly enjoined as the opening act.