Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

कृच्छ्रं वा चातिकृच्छ्रं वा प्राजापत्यमथापि वा । संप्राप्ते कार्तिके मासि कुर्याच्छक्त्याति पुण्यवान्

Transliteration

kṛcchraṃ vā cātikṛcchraṃ vā prājāpatyamathāpi vā | saṃprāpte kārtike māsi kuryācchaktyāti puṇyavān

Translation

Wenn der heilige Monat Kārtika eintritt, soll der überaus verdienstvolle Mensch nach seinem Vermögen die Kṛcchra-Askese, die Atikṛcchra oder die Prājāpatya-Buße auf sich nehmen.

Word by Word

• कृच्छ्रम्: the Kṛcchra penance
• कृच्छ्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; व्रत-नाम

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (disjunctive particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• अतिकृच्छ्रम्: the Atikṛcchra penance
• अतिकृच्छ्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: “very severe kṛcchra”

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प

• प्राजापत्यम्: the Prājāpatya penance
• प्राजापत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राजापत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; व्रत/कृच्छ्र-विशेष-नाम

• अथ: then/also
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/प्रस्ताव (particle: then/also)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प

• संप्राप्ते: when (it) has come/arrived
• संप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी: “when (it has) arrived”

• कार्तिके: in Kārtika
• कार्तिके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• शक्त्या: according to ability
• शक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करणवाचक

• अति: very, exceedingly
• अति: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अतिशय (intensifier)

• पुण्यवान्: meritorious
• पुण्यवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kārtika (Ūrja) observance in Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in Kāśī during Kārtika performing austerity: seated on kuśa grass, a small fire or lamp nearby, minimal food (measured portions) shown symbolically; temple and Gaṅgā in background; the three penances appear as three symbolic seals.

Characters & Entities

• Kārtika
• Kṛcchra
• Atikṛcchra
• Prājāpatya
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kārtika amplifies spiritual effort; even graded austerities, done within one’s strength, become highly meritorious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa, but the verse’s direct glorification is of Kārtika as sacred time for tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform kṛcchra, atikṛcchra, or prājāpatya austerities in Kārtika, tailored to one’s capacity.