Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

यस्तमाथर्वणैर्मंत्रैः पूजयेद्द्वादशीदिने । कार्तिकस्य सिते पक्षे स याति परमां गतिम्

Transliteration

yastamātharvaṇairmaṃtraiḥ pūjayeddvādaśīdine | kārtikasya site pakṣe sa yāti paramāṃ gatim

Translation

Quiconque l’adore avec les mantras de l’Atharva au jour de Dvādaśī, durant la quinzaine claire de Kārttika, atteint la suprême destinée.

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; निर्देश्य सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• आथर्वणैः: with Atharvanic
• आथर्वणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आथर्वण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (mantras qualified as Atharvanic)

• मन्त्रैः: with mantras
• मन्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• द्वादशीदिने: on the day of Dvādaśī
• द्वादशीदिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी + दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्वादश्याः दिनम्)

• कार्तिकस्य: of Kārtika (month)
• कार्तिकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सिते: in the bright (fortnight)
• सिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying pakṣa)

• पक्षे: in the fortnight
• पक्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• याति: goes, attains
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying gati)

• गतिम्: state, destination
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (Narasiṃha worship focus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-śreṣṭhas (addressed audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-to-dawn Dvādaśī worship in Kārttika: a devotee offers lamps, tulasī, and flowers before Narasiṃha; priests chant Atharvan mantras; the sky is clear, with a bright moon of śukla pakṣa.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika
• Dvādaśī
• Atharvan mantras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right time (tithi) and right method (mantra-vidhi) elevate worship into a direct means toward the highest spiritual goal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Nāgara Khaṇḍa tīrtha of Adhyāya 60, where worship of the presiding deity on Kārttika Dvādaśī is praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pūjā using Atharvan (Atharvavedic) mantras on Kārttika bright-fortnight Dvādaśī.