Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

नभस्य कृष्णामावस्यां यात्रा सांवत्सरी भवेत् । रामेण निर्मिता पूर्वं नदी सिंधुरिवापरा

Transliteration

nabhasya kṛṣṇāmāvasyāṃ yātrā sāṃvatsarī bhavet | rāmeṇa nirmitā pūrvaṃ nadī siṃdhurivāparā

Translation

On the new-moon day (Amāvasyā) of the dark fortnight of Nabhas (Bhādrapada), this pilgrimage becomes an annual observance. In former times Rāma created this river, like another mighty Sindhu.

Word by Word

• नभस्य: of Nabhas (month)
• नभस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (neut. gen. sg.)

• कृष्णामावस्याम्: on the dark new-moon day
• कृष्णामावस्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण-अमावस्या (प्रातिपदिक; कृष्ण + अमावस्या)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (fem. loc. sg.)

• यात्रा: pilgrimage/journey
• यात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (fem. nom. sg.)

• सांवत्सरी: annual
• सांवत्सरी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सांवत्सरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (fem. nom. sg.)

• भवेत्: should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (optative, 3rd sg., Parasmaipada)

• रामेण: by Rāma
• रामेण: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (masc. instr. sg.)

• निर्मिता: constructed
• निर्मिता: Kriya-visheshana / Predicate adjective
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-√मा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (fem. nom. sg.)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: formerly/earlier)

• नदी: river
• नदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (fem. nom. sg.)

• सिंधुः: the Sindhu (Indus)
• सिंधुः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• इव: like
• इव: Comparator (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• अपरा: another/second
• अपरा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (fem. nom. sg.)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Ayodhyāmāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tilodakī (annual yātrā on Nabhas Kṛṣṇa Amāvasyā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moonless Amāvasyā night/dawn at a sacred river; pilgrims gather with lamps; narration recalls Rāma manifesting/creating the river, likened to a second Sindhu in might.

Characters & Entities

• Nabhas (Bhādrapada)
• Kṛṣṇāmāvasyā
• Yātrā
• Rāma
• River (created by Rāma)
• Sindhu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is also sacred time—annual pilgrimage aligned to lunar dates sustains dharma and remembrance of Rāma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A river-tīrtha associated with Rāma’s act of creation in the Ayodhyā region, connected to the annual amāvasyā yātrā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observing an annual yātrā on Nabhas (Bhādrapada) kṛṣṇa-amāvasyā.