Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 146

Devanagari script

ततः प्रोवाच शक्रस्तान्ब्राह्मणान्नगरोद्भवान् । कपालमोचने स्नात्वा यो देवं ह्यर्चयिष्यति

Transliteration

tataḥ provāca śakrastānbrāhmaṇānnagarodbhavān | kapālamocane snātvā yo devaṃ hyarcayiṣyati

Translation

แล้วพระศักระ (พระอินทร์) ตรัสแก่พราหมณ์ผู้บังเกิดในนครนั้นว่า “ผู้ใดอาบน้ำชำระที่กปาลโมจน แล้วบูชาพระผู้เป็นเจ้าที่นั่นโดยถูกต้องตามพิธี…”

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरवाचक (thereafter)

• प्रोवाच: said; addressed
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः प्र-

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचनम्

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचनम्

• नगरोद्भवान्: born from/within the city
• नगरोद्भवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नगर-उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक; उद्भव = उद्+भू)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचनम्; समासः: नगरात् उद्भवाः

• कपालमोचने: at Kapālamocana (the tīrtha)
• कपालमोचने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल-मोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; समासः: कपालस्य मोचनम् (तीर्थनाम)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• देवम्: the god (Śiva)
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/उपपत्ति (indeed)

• अर्चयिष्यति: will worship
• अर्चयिष्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narrator (verse reports Indra/Śakra addressing the brāhmaṇas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapālamocana

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra (Śakra) addresses a gathered assembly of city-born brāhmaṇas near the tīrtha waters; the shrine of Śiva stands nearby; the moment is didactic—hands raised in instruction, listeners attentive.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Brāhmaṇas
• Kapālamocana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage becomes transformative when tīrtha-snāna is joined with sincere worship of the resident Deity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapālamocana tīrtha, associated with Kapālamocaneśvara/Śiva in the Vātakeśvara-kṣetra context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing (snāna) at Kapālamocana followed by worship (arcana/pūjā) of the Deity.