Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

एते च नियमाः सर्वे शक्यंते यदि भो द्विजाः । कर्तुं च चतुरो मासानेकस्मिन्वाऽपि कार्त्तिके

Transliteration

ete ca niyamāḥ sarve śakyaṃte yadi bho dvijāḥ | kartuṃ ca caturo māsānekasminvā'pi kārttike

Translation

હે દ્વિજોઃ જો આ બધા નિયમો કરવાનું શક્ય હોય, તો તેમને ચાર માસ સુધી—અથવા ઓછામાં ઓછું માત્ર કાર્તિક માસમાં પણ—અવશ્ય આચરવા જોઈએ।

Word by Word

• ete: these
• ete: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

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

• niyamāḥ: rules/observances
• niyamāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• sarve: all
• sarve: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• śakyante: are possible / can be done
• śakyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śak (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थक (passive sense: are possible)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha/Condition (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• bho: O!
• bho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bho (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• dvijāḥ: O twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• dvijāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (8/1), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे

• kartuṃ: to do
• kartuṃ: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (infinitive); अर्थः—कर्तुम् (to do)

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

• caturo: four
• caturo: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• māsān: months
• māsān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• ekasmin: in one (month)
• ekasmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; विशेषण

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha/Alternative (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• api: also / even
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारार्थक-निपात (also/even)

• kārttike: in Kārttika (month)
• kārttike: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārttika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; मासवाचक

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ (twice-born)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher addressing assembled dvijas, pointing to a lunar calendar/seasonal cycle, emphasizing Cāturmāsya and the single month of Kārtika as a concentrated window of merit.

Characters & Entities

• Dvitīya-janma (dvija)
• Kārtika
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when full observance is difficult, Purāṇic dharma encourages a practicable minimum—especially Kārtika—as a concentrated opportunity for merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse glorifies sacred time (Kārtika/Cāturmāsya) within a Māhātmya discourse; no single named tirtha appears here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake the listed niyamas for the full four-month period, or at minimum observe them during the month of Kārtika.