Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

कार्तिके शुक्लपक्षस्य प्रारभ्य दशमी तिथिम् । पूर्णिमामवधिं कृत्वा यात्रा सांवत्सरी भवेत्

Transliteration

kārtike śuklapakṣasya prārabhya daśamī tithim | pūrṇimāmavadhiṃ kṛtvā yātrā sāṃvatsarī bhavet

Translation

En commençant au dixième jour lunaire de la quinzaine claire de Kārttika et en se poursuivant jusqu’à la pleine lune, ce pèlerinage devient un rite annuel.

Word by Word

• कार्तिके: in Kārtika (month)
• कार्तिके: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन = Masculine, Locative singular (month)

• शुक्लपक्षस्य: of the bright fortnight
• शुक्लपक्षस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन = Masculine, Genitive singular; कर्मधारयः (शुक्लः पक्षः)

• प्रारभ्य: starting from
• प्रारभ्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + रभ् (धातु) → प्रारभ्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त = gerund/absolutive: "having begun/starting from"

• दशमी: tenth
• दशमी: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन = Feminine, Accusative singular; विशेषणम् (तिथिम्)

• तिथिम्: lunar day
• तिथिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन = Feminine, Accusative singular

• पूर्णिमाम्: full-moon day
• पूर्णिमाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्णिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन = Feminine, Accusative singular

• अवधिम्: as the limit/end
• अवधिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन = Masculine, Accusative singular

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त = gerund/absolutive: "having made"

• यात्रा: pilgrimage/procession
• यात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन = Feminine, Nominative singular

• सांवत्सरी: annual
• सांवत्सरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सांवत्सरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन = Feminine, Nominative singular; विशेषणम् (यात्रा)

• भवेत्: would be/should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Potential/Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद = Optative, 3rd person singular

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-yātrā (Kārttika sāṃvatsarī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims begin a Kārttika bright-fortnight yātrā on Daśamī, continuing with lamps, bathing, and temple visits until Pūrṇimā; a calendar-like procession through ghāṭas and shrines.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika
• Daśamī
• Pūrṇimā
• Viṣṇu-Hari (context implied)
• Ayodhyā (context implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time amplifies sacred place; regularly returning in Kārttika makes devotion steady and renews merit annually.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā’s pilgrimage circuit connected to Cakratīrtha and the Viṣṇu-Hari presence (context of the passage).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yātrā (pilgrimage observance) to be performed yearly from Kārttika Śukla Daśamī through Pūrṇimā.