Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

कार्तिक्यां परदारोत्थैः स विमुच्येत पातकैः । एषां युगत्रये शुद्धिरासीत्तत्र द्विजन्मनाम्

Transliteration

kārtikyāṃ paradārotthaiḥ sa vimucyeta pātakaiḥ | eṣāṃ yugatraye śuddhirāsīttatra dvijanmanām

Translation

في شهر كارتِّيكا يُعتَق من الآثام الناشئة عن امرأة الغير (الزنا). ولهؤلاء ذوي الولادتين كانت الطهارة قائمة هناك في ذلك التيرثا عبر اليوغات الثلاث.

Word by Word

• कार्तिक्याम्: in (the month of) Kārtika
• कार्तिक्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• परदारोत्थैः: arising from another’s wife (i.e., adultery-born)
• परदारोत्थैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परदार + उत्थ (प्रातिपदिक; उत्थ = कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (परदारात् उत्थाः = arising from another’s wife)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विमुच्येत: would be freed
• विमुच्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पातकैः: from sins
• पातकैः: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (also used in sense ‘from sins’ with separation)

• एषाम्: of these
• एषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• युगत्रये: in the three yugas
• युगत्रये: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (त्रयाणि युगानि)

• शुद्धिः: purification
• शुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• द्विजन्मनाम्: of the twice-born
• द्विजन्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kuṇḍa/tīrtha of Kārttika prāyaścitta (name not stated)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-sattamāḥ addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kārttika dawn at the kuṇḍa: pilgrims with lamps (dīpa) and tulasī/flowers (generic), performing snāna with solemn repentance; the atmosphere is austere, emphasizing moral purification.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika (month)
• Kuṇḍa/Tīrtha
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kārttika observance at a powerful tīrtha is upheld as a strong remedy even for grave moral transgressions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same tīrtha/kuṇḍa of Adhyāya 113, especially potent when approached in Kārttika.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kārttika-time practice centered on snāna at the tīrtha, framed as a prāyaścitta for certain sins.