Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 109

Devanagari script

आगतः कार्तिकीं कर्त्तुं देवे दामोदरे ततः । ऋग्यजुःसामसंयुक्तैर्ब्राह्मणैर्ब्रह्मवित्तमैः

Transliteration

āgataḥ kārtikīṃ karttuṃ deve dāmodare tataḥ | ṛgyajuḥsāmasaṃyuktairbrāhmaṇairbrahmavittamaiḥ

Translation

Alors il vint accomplir le rite de Kārtikī auprès du dieu Dāmodara, accompagné de brāhmanes, excellents connaisseurs du Brahman et versés dans le Ṛg, le Yajus et le Sāman.

Word by Word

• āgataḥ: having come; arrived
• āgataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā- (उपसर्ग) + gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kārtikīm: the Kārtikī (rite/observance)
• kārtikīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtikī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• kartum: to do; to perform
• kartum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive)

• deve: in/at the god (temple)
• deve: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• dāmodare: at Dāmodara (Viṣṇu)
• dāmodare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāmodara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• tataḥ: then; thereafter
• tataḥ: Hetu/Apadana (From/thereafter)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय, तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• ṛk: Ṛg (Veda)
• ṛk: Compound-member
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग)

• yajuḥ: Yajus (Veda)
• yajuḥ: Compound-member
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग)

• sāma: Sāma (Veda)
• sāma: Compound-member
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग)

• saṃyuktaiḥ: endowed/associated (with)
• saṃyuktaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam- (उपसर्ग) + yukta (प्रातिपदिक; √yuj धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (brāhmaṇaiḥ)

• brāhmaṇaiḥ: by/with Brahmins
• brāhmaṇaiḥ: Sahakari/Karana (Accompaniment/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• brahmavittamaiḥ: with the best knowers of Brahman
• brahmavittamaiḥ: Sahakari/Karana (Qualifier of instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahma (प्रातिपदिक) + vittama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (brāhmaṇaiḥ); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः वित्तमाः = ब्रह्मविदां उत्तमाः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; continuing narrative in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dāmodara-sthāna at Vastrāpathakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (contextual frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-leader arrives for Kārtikī at Dāmodara’s temple with a procession of Vedic brāhmaṇas carrying palm-leaf texts and ritual implements; evening lamps are prepared for the vow.

Characters & Entities

• Kārtikī (Kartika observance)
• Dāmodara
• Brāhmaṇas
• Ṛgveda
• Yajurveda
• Sāmaveda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seasonal observances like Kārtikī become especially potent when performed at a sanctified deity-site with learned guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dāmodara deity-site within Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing the Kārtikī observance (Kartika-month vrata/rite) at Dāmodara.