Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

कदाचिदथ ते सर्वे कार्तिक्यां पुष्करत्रये । गता विनिश्चयं कृत्वा स्नानार्थं द्विजसत्तमाः

Transliteration

kadācidatha te sarve kārtikyāṃ puṣkaratraye | gatā viniścayaṃ kṛtvā snānārthaṃ dvijasattamāḥ

Translation

একদা কার্ত্তিক মাসে সেই সকল শ্রেষ্ঠ দ্বিজ দৃঢ় সংকল্প করে পবিত্র স্নানের উদ্দেশ্যে পুষ্করত্রয়ে গমন করলেন।

Word by Word

• कदाचित्: once
• कदाचित्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: 'once/sometime')

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/and)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• कार्तिक्याम्: in (the month of) Kārtika
• कार्तिक्याम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtikī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुष्करत्रये: in Puṣkara-traya (the three Puṣkaras)
• पुष्करत्रये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣkara + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/समाहारार्थ (the triad of Puṣkara)

• गताः: went/having gone
• गताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोग (used predicatively: 'having gone')

• विनिश्चयम्: a decision
• विनिश्चयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viniścaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• स्नानार्थम्: for bathing
• स्नानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक-समास (purpose: 'for bathing')

• द्विजसत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थेऽपि प्रयोगः (used as appellation)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages within Māhātmya-style narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara-traya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of venerable brāhmaṇas, staffs and waterpots in hand, setting out in Kārttika toward Puṣkara’s sacred waters, with dawn light and pilgrims on the road.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika (month)
• Puṣkara (Puṣkara-traya)
• Dvijas (Brahmins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Firm resolve (niścaya) and pilgrimage-bathing in Kārttika are presented as direct means to accrue puṇya through tīrtha-sevā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara-traya—an emphasized Puṣkara sacred complex/triad of holy waters within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrthamāhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) undertaken specifically in the month of Kārttika.