Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

स्नानार्थमत्रागच्छंति देवताः पितरस्तथा । कार्त्तिक्यां कृत्तिकायोगे मुक्तेशं पूजयेत्तु यः

Transliteration

snānārthamatrāgacchaṃti devatāḥ pitarastathā | kārttikyāṃ kṛttikāyoge mukteśaṃ pūjayettu yaḥ

Translation

Ici viennent aussi les dieux et les Pitṛ pour le bain sacré. Celui qui, au mois de Kārttika, lors de la conjonction avec l’astérisme Kṛttikā, vénère Mukteśa, reçoit la sainteté particulière de ce tīrtha.

Word by Word

• स्नानार्थम्: for the purpose of bathing
• स्नानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्नानस्य अर्थः)

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

• आगच्छन्ति: come
• आगच्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) उपसर्गः आ-
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवताः: deities
• देवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पितरः: ancestors
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (पितृ-शब्दः)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यतावाचक (also/likewise)

• कार्त्तिक्याम्: in (the month of) Kārttika
• कार्त्तिक्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्तिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (कालवाचक)

• कृत्तिकायोगे: at the conjunction with Kṛttikā (nakṣatra)
• कृत्तिकायोगे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्तिका (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कृत्तिकायाः योगः)

• मुक्तेशम्: Mukteśa (Lord of liberation)
• मुक्तेशम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (मुक्तानाम् ईशः)

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधसूचक-निपात (but/indeed)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-यः (relative pronoun)

Speaker

Unknown (Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa narrative voice; likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devasaras (with Mukteśa)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forested tīrtha with a luminous saras; devas descending to bathe, pitṛs receiving offerings; a shrine of Mukteśa under sacred trees; pilgrims worship during Kārttika with lamps and flowers.

Characters & Entities

• Devatāḥ
• Pitṛs
• Kārttika (month)
• Kṛttikā (nakṣatra)
• Mukteśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha becomes exceptionally potent at specific sacred times; worship of Mukteśa in Kārttika is presented as a direct means to heightened purity and liberation-oriented merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage praises the Devasaras (divine lake) within Dharmāraṇya, connected with Mukteśa/Mokṣeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna (holy bathing) here, and worship Mukteśa specifically during Kārttika when Kṛttikā nakṣatra is present.