Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

अथाष्टम्यां चतुर्दश्यां यो रामचरितं पठेत् । तदग्रे वाजिमेधस्य स कृत्स्नं लभते फलम्

Transliteration

athāṣṭamyāṃ caturdaśyāṃ yo rāmacaritaṃ paṭhet | tadagre vājimedhasya sa kṛtsnaṃ labhate phalam

Translation

Wer am achten und am vierzehnten Mondtag die heilige Erzählung von Rāma rezitiert, erlangt in voller Gänze das Verdienst, das durch das Aśvamedha-Opfer gewonnen wird.

Word by Word

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (sequencing particle)

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth lunar day
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); तिथिवाचक

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); तिथिवाचक

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

• रामचरितम्: Rāma’s deeds (Rāmāyaṇa narrative)
• रामचरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक) + चरित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रामस्य चरितम्)

• पठेत्: should recite/reads
• पठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); ‘तस्य’ अर्थे (of that)

• अग्रे: in front (of), before
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); ‘समक्षे/पुरतः’ अर्थे

• वाजिमेधस्य: of the Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)
• वाजिमेधस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजि (प्रातिपदिक) + मेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वाजिनः मेधः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृत्स्नम्: entire
• कृत्स्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narratorial voice (context within Tīrthamāhātmya; likely Sūta continuing the māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee recites Rāma-carita before a shrine on aṣṭamī/caturdaśī; palm-leaf manuscript, lamp, tulasī/flowers; the unseen ‘Aśvamedha’ is symbolized by a white horse motif in the background or on a banner, indicating yajña-equivalence.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Aśvamedha (Vājimedha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional recitation (pāṭha) of Rāma’s sacred narrative on auspicious tithis can yield immense merit, rivaling grand Vedic sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya setting; the broader chapter context links the teaching to the sanctity of the local kṣetra being described.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation of Rāmacarita specifically on Aṣṭamī and Caturdaśī tithis, with the promised fruit equated to the Aśvamedha.