Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

क्षपयंति च ये मासं कार्तिकं व्रतचारिणः । स्नात्वा वै गोमतीनीरे तथा वै रुक्मिणीह्रदे

Transliteration

kṣapayaṃti ca ye māsaṃ kārtikaṃ vratacāriṇaḥ | snātvā vai gomatīnīre tathā vai rukmiṇīhrade

Translation

Jene Gelübdehalter, die den Monat Kārtika in Observanz verbringen, indem sie im Wasser der Gomātī baden und ebenso im See der Rukmiṇī—

Word by Word

• क्षपयन्ति: they spend/pass (time)
• क्षपयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षपय् (धातु; क्षप् + णिच्)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम्; धातु: क्षपय् (causative)

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

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• मासम्: a month
• मासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचनम्

• कार्तिकम्: (the month of) Kārtika
• कार्तिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'मासम्')

• व्रतचारिणः: vow-observers
• व्रतचारिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत-चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक; व्रत + चारिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचनम्; व्रतं चरन्ति इति (vow-observers)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), धातु: स्ना; पूर्वक्रिया (having bathed)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• गोमतीनीरे: on the bank/waters of the Gomati
• गोमतीनीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती-नीर (प्रातिपदिक; गोमती + नीर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचनम्; अधिकरणम् (location)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus/likewise)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• रुक्मिणीह्रदे: in/at the lake of Rukmiṇī
• रुक्मिणीह्रदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मिणी-ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक; रुक्मिणी + ह्रद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचनम्; अधिकरणम् (location)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomātī-tīra and Rukmiṇī-hrada (Dvārakā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dawn at Gomātī-ghāṭa: vow-keepers entering the water; nearby, the calm expanse of Rukmiṇī-hrada with lotuses; temple silhouettes and Kārtika lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Kārtika
• Gomātī
• Rukmiṇī-hrada
• Rukmiṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Observing Kārtika with tīrtha-snān at Dvārakā’s sacred waters is presented as a high form of dharmic practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gomātī river-bank and Rukmiṇī-hrada (Rukmiṇī’s lake) in the Dvārakā sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kārtika-vrata observance with bathing (snāna) at Gomātī and at Rukmiṇī-hrada.