Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

सर्वेषु चैव मासेषु कार्त्तिके च विशेषतः । दापयेत्परया भक्त्या द्विजे स्वाध्यायतत्परे

Transliteration

sarveṣu caiva māseṣu kārttike ca viśeṣataḥ | dāpayetparayā bhaktyā dvije svādhyāyatatpare

Translation

In allen Monaten—und besonders im Monat Kārttika—soll man in höchster Hingabe Gaben einem Zweimalgeborenen darreichen, der dem heiligen Selbststudium (svādhyāya) ergeben ist.

Word by Word

• सर्वेषु: in all
• सर्वेषु: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; विशेषण (मासेषु)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• मासेषु: in the months
• मासेषु: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन

• कार्त्तिके: in (the month of) Kārttika
• कार्त्तिके: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• दापयेत्: should cause (it) to be given
• दापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• परया: with supreme
• परया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; विशेषण (भक्त्या)

• भक्त्या: devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• द्विजे: to/for a brāhmaṇa
• द्विजे: Adhikarana (Recipient-locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; दान-ग्रहण-सम्बन्धे पात्रनिर्देशः

• स्वाध्यायतत्परे: devoted to self-study (Vedic recitation)
• स्वाध्यायतत्परे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वाध्याय + तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (स्वाध्याये तत्परः)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual, within the Yudhiṣṭhira–Mārkaṇḍeya dialogue in this adhyāya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kārttika setting with lamps; a brāhmaṇa recites Veda (svādhyāya) while a devotee offers gifts reverently near a riverbank shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika
• Dvija
• Svādhyāya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional charity, especially in Kārttika, becomes highly meritorious when offered to a worthy recipient devoted to sacred learning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā/Revā sacred geography), framing Kārttika practices as part of the river-region’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable giving), with emphasis on giving in Kārttika to a Brāhmaṇa engaged in svādhyāya.