Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

शिवतीर्थस्य माहात्म्याद्ययौ वाराणसीं पुरीम् । कपालं स्थापयामास प्रदेशे कुत्रचिद्द्विजाः । कपालतीर्थमित्याख्यामलभत्तत्स्थलं तदा

Transliteration

śivatīrthasya māhātmyādyayau vārāṇasīṃ purīm | kapālaṃ sthāpayāmāsa pradeśe kutraciddvijāḥ | kapālatīrthamityākhyāmalabhattatsthalaṃ tadā

Translation

ด้วยมหิทธิฤทธิ์แห่งศิวตีรถะ เขาได้ไปยังนครวาราณสี โอ้ทวิชาทั้งหลาย เขาได้ประดิษฐานกะโหลกไว้ ณ บริเวณแห่งหนึ่ง และสถานที่นั้นในกาลนั้นได้ชื่อว่า “กปาลตีรถะ”

Word by Word

• शिवतीर्थस्य: of the Śiva-tīrtha
• शिवतीर्थस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवतीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• माहात्म्यात्: from the greatness (power)
• माहात्म्यात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• वाराणसीम्: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीम्: Karma (Goal/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Goal/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); वाराणसीम् इति विशेष्य-समनाधिकरण

• कपालम्: skull
• कपालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्थापयामास: placed/established
• स्थापयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Periphrastic Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: √स्था → स्थापय)

• प्रदेशे: in a region/spot
• प्रदेशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुत्रचित्: somewhere
• कुत्रचित्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्रचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अनिश्चित-देशवाचक-अव्यय (somewhere)

• द्विजाः: Brahmins / twice-born
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); (पाठे बहुवचनं, अर्थे भैरवः इति एकवचन-सम्बन्धः सम्भवः)

• कपालतीर्थम्: Kapāla-tīrtha (Skull holy place)
• कपालतीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• आख्याम्: name, designation
• आख्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अलभत्: obtained, received
• अलभत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); स्थलम् इति विशेषण

• स्थलम्: place, site
• स्थलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapālatīrtha (in Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other Naimiṣāraṇya sages/brāhmaṇas (implied Sūta-saṃvāda frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhairava arrives in bustling Kāśī; he installs the skull at a chosen spot. The place becomes sanctified, with sages and locals acknowledging the new name ‘Kapālatīrtha’. Gaṅgā ghāṭas and temples frame the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Śivatīrtha
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Bhairava (implied)
• Kapālatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s power does not remain private; it radiates outward, creating new sanctified landmarks that guide future pilgrims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapālatīrtha in Vārāṇasī (Kāśī), established through Bhairava’s installation of the kapāla.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sthāpana (installation) of a sacred object; implicitly, the site becomes a pilgrimage-bathing/merit location thereafter.