Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4
मार्कण्डेय उवाच । शृणु वक्ष्येऽद्य ते राजन्कपिलातीर्थमुत्तमम् । येन ते विस्मयः सर्वः श्रुत्वा गच्छति भारत
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | śṛṇu vakṣye'dya te rājankapilātīrthamuttamam | yena te vismayaḥ sarvaḥ śrutvā gacchati bhārata
மார்கண்டேயர் கூறினார்—ஓ அரசே, கேள்; இன்று உனக்கு உத்தமமான கபிலா தீர்த்தத்தைச் சொல்கிறேன். ஓ பாரதா, இதைக் கேட்டவுடன் உன் எல்லா வியப்பும் அடங்கி நீங்கும்.
Mārkaṇḍeya
Tirtha: Kapilā Tīrtha
Type: kshetra
Listener: Rājā (addressed as Bhārata)
Scene: A forest-āśrama setting: sage Mārkaṇḍeya seated calmly, addressing a king with a gesture of instruction; a subtle hint of a riverine tīrtha in the background, signaling the forthcoming Kapilā Tīrtha narrative.
FAQs
Śravaṇa (reverent listening) to māhātmya is itself transformative, dispelling doubt and grounding faith in dharma.
Kapilā-tīrtha, introduced as an ‘uttama’ (excellent) pilgrimage ford in the Revā Khaṇḍa.
The implied practice is śravaṇa—listening attentively to the tīrtha’s māhātmya as a preparatory devotional act.