Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

मिष्टान्नं कार्तिके देयं हविष्यं सघृतप्लुतम् । सुवर्णं रजतं वस्त्रं तोयमन्नं फलानि च

Transliteration

miṣṭānnaṃ kārtike deyaṃ haviṣyaṃ saghṛtaplutam | suvarṇaṃ rajataṃ vastraṃ toyamannaṃ phalāni ca

Translation

Au mois de Kārtika, il convient d’offrir en aumône des mets doux, ainsi que des offrandes de haviṣya imprégnées de ghee. Qu’on donne aussi de l’or, de l’argent, des vêtements, de l’eau, des grains/nourriture et des fruits.

Word by Word

• miṣṭa-annam: sweet food
• miṣṭa-annam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: miṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय: ‘miṣṭam annaṃ’

• kārtike: in (the month of) Kārtika
• kārtike: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• deyam: should be given
• deyam: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-तव्यत्/यत् (Gerundive/Obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); ‘to be given/should be given’

• haviṣyam: haviṣya offering (ritual food)
• haviṣyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haviṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• sa-ghṛta-plutam: soaked with ghee
• sa-ghṛta-plutam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + ghṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + pluta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष: ‘ghṛtena plutam’ with सह- (with)

• suvarṇam: gold
• suvarṇam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suvarṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• rajatam: silver
• rajatam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• vastram: cloth/garment
• vastram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastra (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• toyam: water
• toyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• annam: food
• annam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• phalāni: fruits
• phalāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (Conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (King) (implied by later address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims in Kārtika at a coastal/riverine tīrtha near Prabhāsa, offering sweet rice and ghee-haviṣya, with heaps of cloth, vessels of water, fruits, and grains arranged for donation; a shrine in the background with lamps and conch-sounds.

Characters & Entities

• Kārtika
• Dāna (charity)
• Haviṣya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kārtika dharma is not only austerity but also generosity—dāna sanctifies wealth and supports collective welfare as a devotional act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The prescriptions belong to the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya setting (Prabhāsa region), where Kārtika practices are emphasized.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give dāna in Kārtika: sweet foods, ghee-moistened haviṣya, and gifts such as gold, silver, cloth, water, grain/food, and fruits.