Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

विश्वामित्र मुनिश्रेष्ठ सदा मे गगने स्थितिः । मुक्त्वैकां कार्तिकीं चैव कृत्तिकायोगसंयुताम्

Transliteration

viśvāmitra muniśreṣṭha sadā me gagane sthitiḥ | muktvaikāṃ kārtikīṃ caiva kṛttikāyogasaṃyutām

Translation

«Ô Viśvāmitra, le plus excellent des sages, ma demeure est toujours dans les cieux—sauf en cette unique occasion de Kārttikī, conjointe à la constellation Kṛttikā.»

Word by Word

• विश्वामित्र: O Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśvāmitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (viśva + mitra)

• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: O best of sages
• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muniśreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (muni + śreṣṭha)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• मे: of me / my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; enclitic

• गगने: in the sky
• गगने: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gagana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्थितिः: abode; staying
• स्थितिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthiti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• मुक्त्वा: having left (aside)
• मुक्त्वा: Kriyā (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (मुच् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया—‘having released/left’

• एकाम्: one (single)
• एकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण

• कार्तिकीम्: (the) Kārtikī (night/day; Kārtikī observance)
• कार्तिकीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtikī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• कृत्तिकायोगसंयुताम्: joined with the Kṛttikā conjunction
• कृत्तिकायोगसंयुताम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛttikā-yoga-saṃyutā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कृत्तिका + योग + संयुता)

Speaker

Aśarīrā Vāṇī (heavenly voice; deity not named in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage (Viśvāmitra) stands in a sacred forest at night; above, the Kṛttikā stars blaze. A divine presence speaks from the sky, declaring its usual heavenly abode and its single annual descent on Kārttikī.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Kārttikī
• Kṛttikā (nakṣatra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas link sacred time (kāla)—especially auspicious lunar-asterism combinations—with intensified divine accessibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains Puṣkara within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An auspicious timing is indicated: the Kārttikī occasion associated with Kṛttikā-yoga.