Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

बकेश्वरतीर्थं च कपालेशं तथैव च । मार्कण्डं कपिलेशं च एरण्डीसङ्गमस्तथा

Transliteration

bakeśvaratīrthaṃ ca kapāleśaṃ tathaiva ca | mārkaṇḍaṃ kapileśaṃ ca eraṇḍīsaṅgamastathā

Translation

اور (وہاں) بکیश्वर تیرتھ ہے، اور اسی طرح کپالیش؛ نیز مارکنڈ اور کپلِیش؛ اور اسی طرح ایَرَنڈی سنگم نامی سنگم بھی ہے۔

Word by Word

• बकेश्वरतीर्थम्: Bakeśvara sacred ford
• बकेश्वरतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बकेश्वर + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बकेश्वरस्य तीर्थम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• कपालेशम्: Kapāleśa (a shrine/linga)
• कपालेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपालेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (thus/likewise)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• मार्कण्डम्: Mārkaṇḍa (tīrtha/shrine)
• मार्कण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कपिलेशम्: Kapileśa (a shrine/linga)
• कपिलेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिलेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• एरण्डीसङ्गमः: the confluence at Eraṇḍī
• एरण्डीसङ्गमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एरण्डी + सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (एरण्ड्याः सङ्गमः)

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थ (likewise)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bakeśvara-tīrtha; Kapāleśa; Mārkaṇḍa; Kapileśa; Eraṇḍī-saṅgama

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārṣayaḥ (assembly of sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-party walks along the Narmadā bank; multiple small shrines/liṅgas appear as a sequence—Bakeśvara, Kapāleśa, Mārkaṇḍa, Kapileśa—ending at a visible confluence labeled Eraṇḍī-saṅgama.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Bakeśvara Tīrtha
• Kapāleśa
• Mārkaṇḍa
• Kapileśa
• Eraṇḍī-saṅgama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaiva tīrthas and river-confluences are portrayed as concentrated zones of punya where devotion and sacred travel purify the pilgrim.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bakeśvara-tīrtha, Kapāleśa, Mārkaṇḍa, Kapileśa, and the Eraṇḍī-saṅgama confluence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is specified in this verse; it continues the enumerative praise of tīrthas.