Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

अपि द्वादशयात्रासु सोमनाथे यदर्चिते । कार्त्तिक्यां कृत्तिकायोगे तत्पुण्यं लोटणेश्वरे

Transliteration

api dvādaśayātrāsu somanāthe yadarcite | kārttikyāṃ kṛttikāyoge tatpuṇyaṃ loṭaṇeśvare

Translation

Selbst das Verdienst, das aus der Verehrung Somanāthas während der zwölf Pilgerfahrten erwächst—besonders im Monat Kārttika, wenn Kṛttikā in Konjunktion steht—ebendieses Verdienst findet sich bei Loṭaṇeśvara.

Word by Word

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Viśeṣaṇa-aṅga (Qualifier component)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• यात्रासु: in the twelve pilgrimages
• यात्रासु: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः: द्वादश-यात्रासु = द्वादशसु यात्रासु

• सोमनाथे: at Somanātha
• सोमनाथे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमनाथ (प्रातिपदिक; सोम + नाथ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative pronoun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• अर्चिते: when/where worshipped
• अर्चिते: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्चित (कृदन्त; अर्च् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; (यत् ... अर्चिते) = यत्र/यस्मिन् अर्चिते (सप्तमी)

• कार्त्तिक्याम्: in (the month of) Kārttika
• कार्त्तिक्याम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्तिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; मास/तिथि-विशेषः

• कृत्तिका: Kṛttikā (lunar mansion)
• कृत्तिका: Viśeṣaṇa-aṅga (Qualifier component)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्तिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• योगे: at the conjunction/occurrence of Kṛttikā
• योगे: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; कृत्तिका-योगे = कृत्तिकायाः योगे

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa-aṅga (Qualifier component)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma/Phala (Result)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्-पुण्यम् = तस्य पुण्यम्

• लोटणेश्वरे: at Loṭaṇeśvara
• लोटणेश्वरे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोटणेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; लोटण + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; स्थान/देवता-वाचक

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Loṭaṇeśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-scene comparison: Somnātha worship during Kārttika under the Kṛttikā stars, mirrored by an equally radiant Loṭaṇeśvara shrine, suggesting identical merit.

Characters & Entities

• Somanātha
• Kārttika (month)
• Kṛttikā (nakṣatra)
• Loṭaṇeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic map of sacred power equates merits across famed shrines, teaching that sincere devotion at a local tīrtha can match renowned pan-Indian pilgrimages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Loṭaṇeśvara, praised as granting merit comparable to worship at Somanātha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (arcana) in the month of Kārttika, specifically during Kṛttikā-yoga, as a high-merit time-marker.