Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

कपिलेन पुरा देवि यत्र तप्तं तपो महत् । वर्षाणामयुतं साग्रं प्रतिष्ठाप्य महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

kapilena purā devi yatra taptaṃ tapo mahat | varṣāṇāmayutaṃ sāgraṃ pratiṣṭhāpya maheśvaram

Translation

اے دیوی، قدیم زمانے میں کپل نے وہاں عظیم تپسیا کی۔ مہیشور کو پرتیِشٹھت کرکے اس نے دس ہزار برس سے بھی زیادہ عرصہ ریاضت کی۔

Word by Word

• कपिलेन: by Kapila
• कपिलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/सह), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• पुरा: formerly, in ancient times
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन — Vocative singular

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• तप्तम्: was performed/undertaken (lit. heated, done)
• तप्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु) + त (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः (past passive participle)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agrees with तपः)

• वर्षाणाम्: of years
• वर्षाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन — Genitive plural

• अयुतम्: ten thousand
• अयुतम्: Visheshana (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-नाम (numeral noun)

• साग्रम्: with an additional amount (and more)
• साग्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अयुतम् इत्यस्य) — ‘with an excess/plus’

• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: having स्थापित/installed
• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-स्था (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वा), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (absolutive/gerund)

• महेश्वरम्: Maheshvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular; कर्म (object of प्रतिष्ठाप्य)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapileśvara (Kāpila Kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Kapila in deep austerity near the sea, matted hair and ochre robes, seated by a newly installed Śiva-liṅga; time is shown through cyclical seasons around him, emphasizing ‘ten thousand years and more’.

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• Maheśvara
• Mahādevī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha gains enduring sanctity through tapas and the स्थापना of the deity; spiritual power is anchored in place by disciplined practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kapileśvara/Kāpila-kṣetra area, sanctified by Kapila’s austerities and installation of Maheśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pratiṣṭhā (installation) of Maheśvara is referenced as the founding sacred act; the verse itself does not prescribe a new rite for the listener.