Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 112

Devanagari script

समेताः कुत्र यास्याम इति ब्रूत द्विजोत्तमाः । यो गृहे कार्त्तिकीं कुर्यात्स्नानदानादिवर्जितः

Transliteration

sametāḥ kutra yāsyāma iti brūta dvijottamāḥ | yo gṛhe kārttikīṃ kuryātsnānadānādivarjitaḥ

Translation

„Da wir versammelt sind, sagt mir: Wohin sollen wir gehen, o beste der Dvijas? Denn wer den Kārttika nur daheim begeht und dabei rituelles Bad, Almosen und dergleichen unterlässt…“

Word by Word

• समेताः: assembled
• समेताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-इ (धातु) → समेत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘एकत्र आगताः’

• कुत्र: where
• कुत्र: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: where)

• यास्यामः: shall we go
• यास्यामः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ब्रूत: say (you all)
• ब्रूत: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of Brahmins
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + उत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः)

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कार्त्तिकीम्: Kārttikī observance
• कार्त्तिकीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्तिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्नानदानादिवर्जितः: devoid of bathing, charity, etc.
• स्नानदानादिवर्जितः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नान-दान-आदि-वर्जित (प्रातिपदिक; स्नान + दान + आदि + वर्जित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (स्नानं दानं आदयः येषां तैः वर्जितः)

Speaker

A king (nṛpa/pārthiva), addressing Brahmins (dvijottamāḥ) in the Revā-khaṇḍa narrative

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Unspecified ‘sarva-guṇa’ tīrtha to be chosen (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, with brāhmaṇas assembled, asks decisively where to go; the subtext warns against a home-bound Kārttika lacking bathing and charity.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika (month/vrata)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kārttika observance is meant to be supported by concrete dharmic acts—especially snāna (sacred bathing) and dāna (charity)—not performed as a mere formality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets up a pilgrimage query; the specific tīrtha is named in subsequent verses (Bhāreśvara on the Revā/Narmadā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The necessity of snāna (ritual bathing) and dāna (charitable giving) as integral supports of the Kārttika observance.