Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

कार्त्तिके मासि देवस्य रथयात्रा प्रकीर्त्तिता । यां कृत्वा मानवो भक्त्या याति ब्रह्मसलोकताम्

Transliteration

kārttike māsi devasya rathayātrā prakīrttitā | yāṃ kṛtvā mānavo bhaktyā yāti brahmasalokatām

Translation

Au mois de Kārttika est proclamée la procession du char du Seigneur. Celui qui l’accomplit avec dévotion parvient au monde de Brahmā.

Word by Word

• कार्त्तिके: in (the month of) Kārttika
• कार्त्तिके: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण (in Kārttika)

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कार्त्तिके इति विशेषण-सम्बन्धः

• देवस्य: of the deity
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• रथयात्रा: chariot procession
• रथयात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—रथस्य यात्रा

• प्रकीर्त्तिता: is proclaimed
• प्रकीर्त्तिता: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘प्रशंसिता/उक्ताऽस्ति’

• याम्: which
• याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (which)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया—‘कृत्वा’

• मानवः: a man
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधन/भाव-करण

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

• ब्रह्मसलोकताम्: the state of Brahmā’s world (Brahmaloka)
• ब्रह्मसलोकताम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + स + लोक + ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः—ब्रह्मणः सः लोकः (ब्रह्मलोकः) तस्य भावः/अवस्था ‘-ता’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa, the Lord’s richly decorated chariot rolls through the streets in Kārttika; devotees line the route with lamps and offerings, while priests chant and musicians play auspicious rhythms; the sea-breeze and temple flags frame the procession.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika
• Rathayātrā
• Brahmaloka
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional participation in sacred festivals is a direct path to elevated spiritual destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where the Kārttika rathayātrā is celebrated as a high-merit observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing the deity’s rathayātrā in Kārttika with bhakti.