Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

क्षपयंति च ये मासं कार्तिकं व्रतचारिणः । स्नात्वा वै गोमतीनीरे तथा वै रुक्मिणीह्रदे

Transliteration

kṣapayaṃti ca ye māsaṃ kārtikaṃ vratacāriṇaḥ | snātvā vai gomatīnīre tathā vai rukmiṇīhrade

Translation

ವ್ರತಾಚಾರಿಗಳು ಕಾರ್ತಿಕ ಮಾಸವನ್ನು ವ್ರತಪೂರ್ವಕವಾಗಿ ಕಳೆಯುವಾಗ, ಅವರು ಗೋಮತೀ ನದೀಜಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ನಾನ ಮಾಡಿ, ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ರುಕ್ಮಿಣೀ ಹ್ರದದಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಸ್ನಾನ ಮಾಡಿ ಪುಣ್ಯವನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ।

Word by Word

• क्षपयन्ति: they spend/pass (time)
• क्षपयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षपय् (धातु; क्षप् + णिच्)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम्; धातु: क्षपय् (causative)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• मासम्: a month
• मासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचनम्

• कार्तिकम्: (the month of) Kārtika
• कार्तिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'मासम्')

• व्रतचारिणः: vow-observers
• व्रतचारिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत-चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक; व्रत + चारिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचनम्; व्रतं चरन्ति इति (vow-observers)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), धातु: स्ना; पूर्वक्रिया (having bathed)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• गोमतीनीरे: on the bank/waters of the Gomati
• गोमतीनीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती-नीर (प्रातिपदिक; गोमती + नीर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचनम्; अधिकरणम् (location)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus/likewise)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• रुक्मिणीह्रदे: in/at the lake of Rukmiṇī
• रुक्मिणीह्रदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मिणी-ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक; रुक्मिणी + ह्रद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचनम्; अधिकरणम् (location)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomātī-tīra and Rukmiṇī-hrada (Dvārakā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dawn at Gomātī-ghāṭa: vow-keepers entering the water; nearby, the calm expanse of Rukmiṇī-hrada with lotuses; temple silhouettes and Kārtika lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Kārtika
• Gomātī
• Rukmiṇī-hrada
• Rukmiṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Observing Kārtika with tīrtha-snān at Dvārakā’s sacred waters is presented as a high form of dharmic practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gomātī river-bank and Rukmiṇī-hrada (Rukmiṇī’s lake) in the Dvārakā sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kārtika-vrata observance with bathing (snāna) at Gomātī and at Rukmiṇī-hrada.