Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

सकृद्यत्राप्लुतो धीमान्दहेदघमहोदधिम् । चौरतीर्थं ततः पुण्यं कपिलेश्वर सन्निधौ

Transliteration

sakṛdyatrāpluto dhīmāndahedaghamahodadhim | cauratīrthaṃ tataḥ puṇyaṃ kapileśvara sannidhau

Translation

எங்கு அறிவுடையவன் ஒருமுறை நீராடினாலே பாவங்களின் மாபெரும் கடல் எரிந்து அழிகிறதோ—அதன்பின் கபிலேஸ்வரர் சன்னிதியில் புண்ணியமான சௌர தீர்த்தம் உள்ளது.

Word by Word

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: विशेषणम् (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/आवृत्ति-वाचक (adverb of frequency: ‘once’)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: अधिकरण (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-सम्बन्ध (relative adverb: ‘where’)

• आप्लुतः: having bathed/immersed
• आप्लुतः: कर्तृविशेषण (qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√प्लु (धातु) → आप्लुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘having bathed/immersed’

• धीमान्: the wise man
• धीमान्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धीमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• दहेत्: would burn/destroy
• दहेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अघ: sin
• अघ: कर्म (as part of object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• महत्: great
• महत्: कर्मविशेषण (within compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• उदधिम्: ocean
• उदधिम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अघमहोदधिम्: the great ocean of sin
• अघमहोदधिम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ + महत् + उदधि (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः तत्पुरुषसमास; पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘sin-as-great-ocean’

• चौरतीर्थम्: (the) Cauratīrtha
• चौरतीर्थम्: विशेष्य/नाम (Appositional name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चौर + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (context: naming a tīrtha)

• ततः: thereafter; from there
• ततः: सम्बन्ध/क्रम (sequencing)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तद्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb): ‘thereafter/from there’

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (of tīrtha)

• कपिलेश्वर: Kapileśvara
• कपिलेश्वर: सम्बन्ध (genitive/locative association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिल + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे नाम; सम्बोधन-प्रायः/स्थाननाम (here: name of deity/place)

• सन्निधौ: in the vicinity/presence
• सन्निधौ: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī-khaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caura Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Typically a sage/assembly (e.g., Agastya or other ṛṣis in Kāśīkhaṇḍa frames; exact interlocutor not provided in the excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim descends stone steps to a small Kāśī water-spot (tīrtha-kunda/ghāṭa), with Kapileśvara’s shrine visible nearby; the water glows as if consuming darkness, symbolizing the ‘ocean of sin’ being burned.

Characters & Entities

• Caura Tīrtha
• Kapileśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a single sincere act at a sanctified place can radically purify accumulated wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Caura Tīrtha, located near Kapileśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A single snāna/immersion is highlighted as sufficient to destroy great sin.