Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तत्र तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा कपिलां यः प्रयच्छति । मृतो विष्णुपुरं याति गीयमानोऽप्सरोगणैः

Transliteration

tatra tīrthe naraḥ snātvā kapilāṃ yaḥ prayacchati | mṛto viṣṇupuraṃ yāti gīyamāno'psarogaṇaiḥ

Translation

ณ ตีรถะนั้น บุรุษผู้สรงน้ำแล้วถวายโคกปิลา ครั้นสิ้นชีพย่อมไปสู่วิษณุปุระ และหมู่อัปสราทั้งหลายขับขานสรรเสริญเขา

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location adjunct/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक adverb)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु) → स्नात्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘स्नानं कृत्वा/after bathing’

• कपिलाम्: a kapilā cow
• कपिलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• प्रयच्छति: gives
• प्रयच्छति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मृतः: having died, dead
• मृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) → मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — ‘मृतः’ (having died)

• विष्णुपुरम्: Viṣṇu’s abode
• विष्णुपुरम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म-गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः पुरम्)

• याति: goes, attains
• याति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• गीयमानः: being sung/praised
• गीयमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गै (धातु) → गीयमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्/यमान) कर्मणि—‘being sung/praised’

• अप्सरोगणैः: by groups of apsarases
• अप्सरोगणैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अप्सरसां गणाः)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A two-part scene: at the river ghāṭa the pilgrim bathes and gifts the kapilā; above, a celestial ascent to Viṣṇu’s city where apsarases sing in welcome.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha (Kapilātīrtha)
• Viṣṇupura
• Apsarogaṇa
• Kapilā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage bathing and righteous charity are depicted as direct causes of auspicious post-mortem destiny and divine honor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapilātīrtha (referred to as ‘that tīrtha’), within the Narmadā (Revā) region of Revākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna at the tīrtha and donate a kapilā cow.