Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

कार्त्तिके मासि देवेशि पौर्णमास्यां चतुर्मुखम् । मार्गेण चर्मणा सार्द्धं सावित्र्या च परंतपः

Transliteration

kārttike māsi deveśi paurṇamāsyāṃ caturmukham | mārgeṇa carmaṇā sārddhaṃ sāvitryā ca paraṃtapaḥ

Translation

Ô Souveraine des dieux, au jour de pleine lune de Kārttika, il convient d’honorer le Seigneur aux quatre visages (Brahmā), avec le parcours sacré, le revêtement de peau, et aussi avec Sāvitrī, ô dompteur des ennemis.

Word by Word

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

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

• देवेशि: O lord of gods
• देवेशि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेशि (प्रातिपदिक; सम्बोधन-रूप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधन-पद

• पौर्णमास्याम्: on the full-moon day
• पौर्णमास्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर्णमासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• चतुर्मुखम्: the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• चतुर्मुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु/तत्पुरुष-प्रकृतिः—चत्वारि मुखानि यस्य (as epithet ‘four-faced’, here as object)

• मार्गेण: by the path / along the route
• मार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधन/पथ-करण

• चर्मणा: with a hide/skin
• चर्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सार्द्धम्: together with
• सार्द्धम्: Sahartha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्द्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अर्थक-अव्यय (adverb/preposition: ‘together with’)

• सावित्र्या: with Sāvitrī
• सावित्र्या: Karana/Sahartha (Instrument/Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• परंतपः: the scorcher of foes (epithet)
• परंतपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परंतप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणवत् उपाधि (epithet)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (implied by ‘deveśi’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kārttika full-moon night: the processional route is decorated and ritually ‘claimed’ as sacred; Brahmā (four-faced) is honored with Sāvitrī beside him, while the chariot festival preparations sanctify the path with cloth coverings and ceremonial markers.

Characters & Entities

• Deveśī
• Kārttika
• Paurṇamāsī
• Caturmukha (Brahmā)
• Sāvitrī
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (Kārttika full moon) and sacred order (processional components) structure devotion into an auspicious rite.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, in the context of its Kārttika full-moon festival worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance on Kārttika Paurṇamāsī involving Caturmukha (Brahmā) and Sāvitrī as part of the festival arrangement/procession.