Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

कुमारस्य च देवेश महदाश्चर्यकर्मणः । कार्त्तिक्यां कृत्तिकायोगसहितायां शिवस्य च

Transliteration

kumārasya ca deveśa mahadāścaryakarmaṇaḥ | kārttikyāṃ kṛttikāyogasahitāyāṃ śivasya ca

Translation

Ô Seigneur des dieux, les actes de Kumāra sont souverainement merveilleux; surtout au mois de Kārttika, lorsque se présente la sainte conjonction avec Kṛttikā, et de même en tout ce qui concerne Śiva.

Word by Word

• कुमारस्य: of Kumāra
• कुमारस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• देवेश: O Lord of gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: देव-ईश (तत्पुरुष: 'lord of gods'); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• आश्चर्य: wonder
• आश्चर्य: Visheshya (Head-term within compound/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• कर्मणः: of the greatly wondrous deed
• कर्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: महत्-आश्चर्य-कर्मन् (कर्मधारय/बहुपदसमास: 'a deed that is a great wonder'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• कार्त्तिक्याम्: in Kārttikī (month/occasion)
• कार्त्तिक्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्तिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• कृत्तिका: the Kṛttikās (Pleiades)
• कृत्तिका: Visheshya (Head-term within compound/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्तिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• योग: connection/association
• योग: Visheshya (Head-term within compound/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• सहितायाम्: in (the time) accompanied by the Kṛttikā conjunction
• सहितायाम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (कृदन्त; सह धातोः क्त)
• Form: समासः: कृत्तिका-योग-सहित (तत्पुरुष: 'accompanied with the Kṛttikā-connection'); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (कार्त्तिक्याम् इति विशेष्ये)

• शिवस्य: of Śiva
• शिवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Yama (deduced from immediate context: Śaṅkara replies in the next verses after hearing Yama’s words)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial calendar moment: the night sky shows the Kṛttikā cluster; devotees offer lamps in Kārttika while venerating Kumāra and Śiva; the scene emphasizes auspicious conjunction and wondrous deeds.

Characters & Entities

• Kumāra (Skanda/Kārttikeya)
• Śiva
• Kārttika (month)
• Kṛttikā (nakṣatra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Kumāra and Śiva is portrayed as especially potent, with Kārttika and auspicious celestial timings amplifying spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the Kedāra sacred region (Kedārakhaṇḍa), where Śaiva tīrtha-mahātmya frames the discussion, though this verse highlights time (Kārttika/Kṛttikā) more than a single spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the verse emphasizes auspicious time—Kārttika and Kṛttikā-yoga—as spiritually significant for devotion.