Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 192

Devanagari script

तेनेष्टं क्रतुभिः सर्वैः कृतं तीर्थावगाहनम् । दीपदानं कृतं येन कार्त्तिके केशवाग्रतः

Transliteration

teneṣṭaṃ kratubhiḥ sarvaiḥ kṛtaṃ tīrthāvagāhanam | dīpadānaṃ kṛtaṃ yena kārttike keśavāgrataḥ

Translation

Wer im Monat Kārttika vor Keśava eine Lampe als Gabe darbringt, hat damit gleichsam alle Opfer vollzogen und gleichsam in allen Tīrthas gebadet.

Word by Word

• तेन: by that (person/act)
• तेन: करण (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• इष्टम्: (sacrifices) have been performed
• इष्टम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थः ‘यज्ञादि कृतम्/इष्टम्’

• क्रतुभिः: by rites/sacrifices
• क्रतुभिः: करण (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• सर्वैः: all
• सर्वैः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् क्रतुभिः इति

• कृतम्: done/performed
• कृतम्: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तीर्थावगाहनम्: bathing in sacred fords
• तीर्थावगाहनम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-अवगाहन (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ + अवगाहन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास — ‘तीर्थे अवगाहनम्’ (bathing/immersion in a tīrtha)

• दीपदानम्: offering of a lamp
• दीपदानम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप-दान (प्रातिपदिक; दीप + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास — ‘दीपस्य दानम्’

• कृतम्: has been done
• कृतम्: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• येन: by whom
• येन: करण (Instrument/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• कार्त्तिके: in (the month of) Kārttika
• कार्त्तिके: अधिकरण (Time-locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; मासवाचक

• केशवाग्रतः: before Keśava
• केशवाग्रतः: अधिकरण (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केशव-अग्रतः (अव्यय; केशव + अग्रतः)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययीभाव-समास — ‘केशवस्य अग्रतः’ (in front of Keśava)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced: Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative style—Brahmā to Nārada)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (with focus on Keśava worship in Kārttika)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee at dusk in Kārttika offers a bright lamp before Keśava’s image, with river-ghāṭa silhouettes and other lamps floating or placed along steps; priests chant softly as the flame reflects on water.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika
• Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• Dīpadāna
• Tīrtha-snāna
• Kratu (sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kārttika devotion to Viṣṇu, expressed through lamp-offering, is treated as a comprehensive fulfillment of major religious duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is situated in Ayodhyāmāhātmya; the merit is framed within Ayodhyā’s sacred landscape and Viṣṇu-worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dīpadāna in the month of Kārttika, performed before Keśava (Viṣṇu).