Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

एकांतरं व्रतं कुर्यात्त्रिरात्र व्रतमेव वा । पंचरात्रं सप्तरात्रं संप्राप्ते कार्तिके व्रती

Transliteration

ekāṃtaraṃ vrataṃ kuryāttrirātra vratameva vā | paṃcarātraṃ saptarātraṃ saṃprāpte kārtike vratī

Translation

إذا حلّ شهر كارتِيكا، فعلى صاحب النذر أن يلتزم بصوم يومٍ بعد يوم، أو بمناسك ثلاثة ليالٍ؛ أو كذلك بنذر خمس ليالٍ أو سبع ليالٍ.

Word by Word

• ekāntaram: every-other-day (alternating)
• ekāntaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ekāntara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (vratam इति) — Neuter, Accusative singular; adjective qualifying 'vratam'

• vratam: vow, observance
• vratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• kuryāt: should perform
• kuryāt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम् — Optative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipada

• trirātra-vratam: a three-night vow
• trirātra-vratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + rātra (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्रिरात्रस्य व्रतम्) — Neuter, Accusative singular; genitive tatpurusha

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle) — indeclinable emphatic

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle) — 'or'

• pañcarātram: five nights (a five-night observance)
• pañcarātram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक) + rātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (पञ्च रात्राः यस्य तत्) — Neuter, Accusative singular; dvigu numeral compound

• saptarātram: seven nights (a seven-night observance)
• saptarātram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapta (प्रातिपदिक) + rātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः — Neuter, Accusative singular

• saṃprāpte: when (it has) arrived
• saṃprāpte: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + √prāp (धातु) → saṃprāpta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तम् — Locative singular; past passive participle used adjectivally (‘when attained/arrived’)

• kārtike: in Kārtika (month)
• kārtike: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative singular (in the month of Kārtika)

• vratī: the vow-observer
• vratī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vratin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (with Gaṅgā-ghāṭa context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kārtika-vratin in Kāśī at dawn: lamps along ghāṭas, the devotee counting nights of observance, offering water to the rising sun, then proceeding toward Viśvanātha with a calm, restrained demeanor.

Characters & Entities

• Kārtika
• Ūrja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even limited-duration vows in Kārtika are praised; sincere discipline according to one’s capacity is spiritually efficacious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader teaching belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa (Vārāṇasī/Kashi context), though this verse highlights Kārtika-vrata rather than a single tirtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake fasting/vow patterns: alternate days, or 3-night, 5-night, or 7-night observances during Kārtika.