Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

ऋते वै कार्तिकीमेकां पूजां सांवत्सरीं तव । करिष्यंति द्विजाः सर्वे सत्येनानेन ते शपे । एतद्बुद्ध्वा न कोपोस्तु हतो हन्ति न संशयः

Transliteration

ṛte vai kārtikīmekāṃ pūjāṃ sāṃvatsarīṃ tava | kariṣyaṃti dvijāḥ sarve satyenānena te śape | etadbuddhvā na kopostu hato hanti na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

„Außer der einen jährlichen Verehrung im Monat Kārtika werden alle Dvija (Zweimalgeborenen) dich nicht anbeten. Bei dieser Wahrheit schwöre ich es dir. Wenn du dies weißt, sei ohne Zorn: Wer geschlagen wird, schlägt zurück, ohne Zweifel.“

Word by Word

• ṛte: except
• ṛte: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ṛte (अव्यय)
• Form: वर्जनार्थक अव्यय — Indeclinable (except/without)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक निपात — Emphatic particle

• kārtikīm: Kārtikī (of Kārtika month)
• kārtikīm: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārtikī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular (qualifying pūjām)

• ekām: one
• ekām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• pūjām: worship
• pūjām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• sāṃvatsarīm: annual
• sāṃvatsarīm: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāṃvatsarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular (qualifying pūjām)

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष सर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचन — Genitive, Singular

• kariṣyanti: will perform
• kariṣyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद — Future, 3rd person, Plural

• dvijāḥ: twice-born (Brahmins)
• dvijāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• sarve: all
• sarve: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural (qualifying dvijāḥ)

• satyena: by truth
• satyena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• anena: by this
• anena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन — Pronoun, Instrumental, Singular

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी, एकवचन — Dative, Singular

• śape: I swear / I vow
• śape: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śap (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present, 1st person, Singular, Ātmanepada

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• buddhvā: having understood
• buddhvā: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: budh (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (अव्ययभाव) — Absolutive/gerund (having known)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध निपात — Negation

• kopaḥ: anger
• kopaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kopa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• astu: let there be
• astu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/विधिलिङ्-प्राय), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Imperative/benedictive sense, 3rd person, Singular

• hataḥ: one who is struck/killed
• hataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: han (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्तान्त विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — PPP adjectival, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• hanti: kills/strikes
• hanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Present, 3rd person, Singular

• na: no/not
• na: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध निपात — Negation

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Sāvitrī (continuation of the curse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn oath is spoken: brāhmaṇas with raised right hands affirm truth; a calendar marker of Kārtika (moon, lamps) is hinted; the speaker counsels restraint from anger, warning of inevitable retaliation.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī
• Brahmā
• Kārtika (month)
• Dvija
• Pūjā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kārtika is elevated as a uniquely meritorious time for worship; dharma also cautions against anger and retaliation cycles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra frames the teaching, while the verse particularly glorifies the sacred month of Kārtika as a time of worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A specific allowance is given: Brahmā may receive a single annual worship (sāṃvatsarī pūjā) during the month of Kārtika.