Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

कार्त्तिके वर्जयेत्तैलं कांस्यं चापि विवर्जयेत् । कार्त्तिके मौननियमे चारुघण्टां प्रदापयेत्

Transliteration

kārttike varjayettailaṃ kāṃsyaṃ cāpi vivarjayet | kārttike maunaniyame cārughaṇṭāṃ pradāpayet

Translation

കാർത്തികമാസത്തിൽ എണ്ണ ഒഴിവാക്കണം; കാംസ്യം (കാഞ്ചു/ബെൽ-മെറ്റൽ) ഉപയോഗവും ഉപേക്ഷിക്കണം. കാർത്തികത്തിലെ മൗനനിയമത്തിൽ മനോഹരമായ ഘണ്ട ദാനം ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• kārttike: in Kārttika
• kārttike: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārttika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• varjayet: should avoid
• varjayet: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛj/varj (वर्ज् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘should avoid’

• tailam: oil
• tailam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; वर्ज्य-वस्तु

• kāṃsyam: bell-metal/bronze (kāṃsya)
• kāṃsyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāṃsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; वर्ज्य-वस्तु

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

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

• vivarjayet: should avoid completely
• vivarjayet: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + vṛj/varj (वर्ज् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग ‘वि’ सहित; ‘should completely avoid’

• kārttike: in Kārttika
• kārttike: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārttika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• mauna-niyame: during the vow/observance of silence
• mauna-niyame: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mauna (प्रातिपदिक) + niyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘silence’ + ‘observance/vow’); अवस्थाधिकरण

• cāru-ghaṇṭām: a beautiful bell
• cāru-ghaṇṭām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāru (प्रातिपदिक) + ghaṇṭā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘beautiful’ + ‘bell’); दान-वस्तु

• pradāpayet: should donate (cause to be given)
• pradāpayet: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + dā (दा धातु) + ṇic (णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative) ‘should cause to be given/should donate’

Speaker

Deductive: a Purāṇic narrator/teacher within Brahmakhaṇḍa (speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A silent vow-keeper in Kārttika, abstaining from oil and certain utensils, presents an ornate temple bell to a priest; the bell is hung at the shrine entrance as lamps glow in the evening.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred-month austerities refine the senses; silence and restraint are paired with constructive giving that supports worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is on Kārttika vrata discipline and temple-supporting charity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

In Kārttika: avoid oil and kāṃsya use; observe a mauna-niyama (silence discipline) and donate a bell.