Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अतोऽहं कृत्तिकायोगे कार्तिक्यां भक्तिसंयुतः । ज्ञात्वा करोमि भीष्मस्य पंचकं व्रतमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

ato'haṃ kṛttikāyoge kārtikyāṃ bhaktisaṃyutaḥ | jñātvā karomi bhīṣmasya paṃcakaṃ vratamuttamam

Translation

Darum halte ich in Kārttikā, zur Zeit der Kṛttikā-Konjunktion, von Bhakti erfüllt und seine Größe erkennend, das vortreffliche fünftägige Gelübde Bhīṣmas ein.

Word by Word

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक-अव्यय (therefore/for this reason)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kṛttikāyoge: in the Kṛttikā conjunction
• kṛttikāyoge: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛttikā (प्रातिपदिक) + yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—कृत्तिकायाः योगः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• kārtikyām: in (the month of) Kārtikā
• kārtikyām: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtikī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• bhaktisaṃyutaḥ: endowed with devotion
• bhaktisaṃyutaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—भक्त्या संयुतः इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः; विशेषणम् (aham)

• jñātvā: having known
• jñātvā: Kriya-visheshana (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• karomi: I perform
• karomi: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुषः? (न) उत्तमपुरुषः (1st person/उत्तम), एकवचन

• bhīṣmasya: of Bhīṣma
• bhīṣmasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhīṣma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• paṃcakam: the five-day observance (pañcaka)
• paṃcakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṃcaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• vratam: vow, observance
• vratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (paṃcakam) इत्यस्य विशेष्य/अप्पोजिशन

• uttamam: excellent
• uttamam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (vratam)

Speaker

Unnamed devotee/narrated voice within the māhātmya (first-person vow statement)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇa assembly/seekers (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee resolves to undertake Bhīṣma’s five-day vow in the month of Kārttika, under the Kṛttikā conjunction; the sky suggests a bright lunar night and ritual readiness.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika (month)
• Kṛttikā (nakṣatra)
• Bhīṣma-pañcaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowing the śāstric value of a vrata and performing it with bhakti makes the observance spiritually fruitful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The vow is stated in the flow of Brahmakuṇḍa Māhātmya, implying performance in relation to that tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of Bhīṣma-pañcaka (five-day vow) during Kārttika, specifically at Kṛttikā-yoga.