Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

तथापि चैव कर्तव्यं लोकद्वयमभीप्सता । कार्तिक्यां ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठा वैष्णवैः पुरुषैरिह

Transliteration

tathāpi caiva kartavyaṃ lokadvayamabhīpsatā | kārtikyāṃ brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhā vaiṣṇavaiḥ puruṣairiha

Translation

Aun así, oh mejores de los brāhmaṇas, los hombres vaiṣṇavas que anhelan el logro en ambos mundos deben, sin falta, cumplir esta observancia aquí en el mes de Kārtika.

Word by Word

• tathāpi: nevertheless
• tathāpi: Sambandha/Discourse (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययसमुच्चय; अर्थः—तथापि (nevertheless)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• eva: indeed / certainly
• eva: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• kartavyam: must be done
• kartavyam: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kartavya (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कृदन्तः—तव्यत् (gerundive: to be done)

• lokadvayam: the two worlds
• lokadvayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक) + dvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः—लोकयोः द्वयम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• abhīpsatā: by one desiring
• abhīpsatā: Karta (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-तृतीया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhīps (धातु) → abhīpsat (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ) ‘अभीप्सत्’ = desiring; तृतीया—कर्तृसाधन/हेतौ (by/for one who desires)

• kārtikyām: in Kārtikā (month/season)
• kārtikyām: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; कालवाचक (in Kārtikā/Kārttika time)

• brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ: O best of brāhmaṇas
• brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (8/1), बहुवचन; समासः—ब्राह्मणानां श्रेष्ठाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); सम्बोधनार्थे

• vaiṣṇavaiḥ: by Vaiṣṇava (devotee) men
• vaiṣṇavaiḥ: Karta/Instrument (Agent/Means/कर्ता/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaiṣṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; विशेषण (devotees of Viṣṇu)

• puruṣaiḥ: by men
• puruṣaiḥ: Karta/Instrument (Agent/Means/कर्ता/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: here)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya didactic style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇa-śreṣṭhāḥ / dvijāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of Vaiṣṇava devotees, marked with ūrdhva-puṇḍra, receiving instruction from a sage; the month of Kārtika indicated by lamps and a bright autumn moon; the tīrtha/temple in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Kārtika
• Vaiṣṇava
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sincere Kārtika observance (niyama) is presented as a direct means to welfare in both this life and the next.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya framework; the immediate emphasis here is on Kārtika-mahātmya rather than naming a single tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes performing a Kārtika niyama/observance, especially by Vaiṣṇava devotees seeking lokadvaya-siddhi.