Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 179

Devanagari script

कार्त्तिके शुक्लपक्षस्य चतुर्दश्यामुपोषितः । स्वर्णदानाच्च तत्तीर्थे यज्ञस्य लभते फलम्

Transliteration

kārttike śuklapakṣasya caturdaśyāmupoṣitaḥ | svarṇadānācca tattīrthe yajñasya labhate phalam

Translation

കാർത്തിക ശുക്ലപക്ഷ ചതുര്ദശിയിൽ ഉപവസിച്ച്, ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ സ്വർണ്ണദാനം ചെയ്താൽ, യജ്ഞഫലം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• कार्त्तिके: in (the month of) Kārttika
• कार्त्तिके: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (loc sg)

• शुक्लपक्षस्य: of the bright fortnight
• शुक्लपक्षस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (gen sg); समासः—शुक्लः पक्षः (bright fortnight)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (loc sg)

• उपोषितः: having fasted
• उपोषितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + वस् (धातु) → उपोषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (one who has fasted)

• स्वर्णदानात्: from/through the giving of gold
• स्वर्णदानात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ण + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन (abl sg); समासः—स्वर्णस्य दानम् (gift of gold)

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; विशेषण (that, neut loc sg)

• तीर्थे: at the holy place
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (loc sg)

• यज्ञस्य: of the sacrifice
• यज्ञस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (gen sg)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (present, 3rd sg)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (acc sg)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (instructional narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee fasting on Kārttika śukla caturdaśī at a Narmadā ghat, offering a small gold coin/ornament to a priest or temple, with the liṅga shrine nearby and lamps lit for the auspicious day.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika
• śuklapakṣa
• caturdaśī
• svarṇadāna
• tīrtha
• yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit arises from combining restraint (fasting) with generosity (dāna), especially when performed at a sanctified tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Narmadā tīrtha praised in Revākhaṇḍa, Adhyāya 209.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa on Kārttika śukla caturdaśī and svarṇa-dāna (gold donation) at the tīrtha.