Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

कपालेशस्य सांनिध्ये शक्तिच्छिद्रं हि कीर्त्यते । तस्य तुल्यं परं तीर्थं पृथिव्यां नैव विद्यते

Transliteration

kapāleśasya sāṃnidhye śakticchidraṃ hi kīrtyate | tasya tulyaṃ paraṃ tīrthaṃ pṛthivyāṃ naiva vidyate

Translation

“ในพระสันนิธิของกปาเลศวรนี่เอง มีการประกาศตถีรถะชื่อศักติฉิดระ บนแผ่นดินนี้ไม่พบสถานแสวงบุญอันสูงสุดใดเสมอเหมือน”

Word by Word

• कपालेशस्य: of Kapāleśa
• कपालेशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपालेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• सांनिध्ये: in the proximity/presence
• सांनिध्ये: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांनिध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• शक्ति-च्छिद्रम्: Śakticchidra (the 'cleft of Śakti')
• शक्ति-च्छिद्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + छिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (शक्तेः छिद्रम्); Nominative singular

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थक (indeed/for)

• कीर्त्यते: is proclaimed
• कीर्त्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): 'is proclaimed/celebrated'

• तस्य: of that (place)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• तुल्यम्: equal
• तुल्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (predicate adjective)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (superlative sense: supreme)

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• पृथिव्याम्: on the earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• एव: at all / indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• विद्यते: is found
• विद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु; 'to be found')
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद: 'exists/is found'

Speaker

Maheśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śakticchidra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand view of Kapāleśvara temple with the adjacent Śakticchidra tīrtha marked by a sacred pool/ghāṭa; a divine radiance links liṅga and water, visually asserting ‘no equal on earth’.

Characters & Entities

• Kapāleśvara
• Śakticchidra
• Pṛthivī (earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proximity to a powerful Śiva-liṅga sanctifies the landscape, creating a uniquely transformative tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śakticchidra tīrtha, specifically stated to be near Kapāleśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is added here; the verse chiefly magnifies the site’s incomparable sanctity.