Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

तदाप्रभृति राजेन्द्र कपिलातीर्थमुत्तमम् । सर्वपापहरं ख्यातमृषिसङ्घैर्निषेवितम्

Transliteration

tadāprabhṛti rājendra kapilātīrthamuttamam | sarvapāpaharaṃ khyātamṛṣisaṅghairniṣevitam

Translation

اسی وقت سے، اے شہنشاہِ ملوک، کپیلا تیرتھ نہایت برتر ٹھہرا؛ وہ سب گناہوں کو ہرانے والا مشہور ہوا اور رشیوں کے گروہوں سے سدا آباد رہا۔

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of time

• आप्रभृति: from then onward
• आप्रभृति: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आप्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधिवाचक) — indeclinable meaning 'from (that time) onwards'

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक: राजन् + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कपिलातीर्थम्: Kapilā-tīrtha (the sacred ford named Kapilā)
• कपिलातीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular; विशेषणम् (qualifying कपिलातीर्थम्)

• सर्वपापहरम्: removing all sins
• सर्वपापहरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular; विशेषणम् (qualifying कपिलातीर्थम्)

• ख्यातम्: renowned
• ख्यातम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्यात (कृदन्त; √ख्या (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भावे (past passive participle)

• ऋषिसङ्घैः: by groups of sages
• ऋषिसङ्घैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि + सङ्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• निषेवितम्: frequented, resorted to
• निषेवितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + √सेव् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapilā-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājendra / nṛpottama (king addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene river-ford with ascetics in groups performing japa and homa; the tīrtha is shown as luminous and ‘well-known’, with a king listening reverently to the narration.

Characters & Entities

• Kapilā-tīrtha
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Association with a consecrated tīrtha and saintly presence is portrayed as a direct means of pāpa-kṣaya (diminution of sin).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapilā-tīrtha is explicitly praised as “uttama” and “sarvapāpahara.”

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is specified; the verse emphasizes the tīrtha’s standing and its being regularly visited by sages.