Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

एकांतरं व्रतं कुर्यात्त्रिरात्र व्रतमेव वा । पंचरात्रं सप्तरात्रं संप्राप्ते कार्तिके व्रती

Transliteration

ekāṃtaraṃ vrataṃ kuryāttrirātra vratameva vā | paṃcarātraṃ saptarātraṃ saṃprāpte kārtike vratī

Translation

കാർത്തികമാസം വന്നാൽ വ്രതധാരി ഭക്തൻ ഒരു ദിവസം വിട്ട് ഒരു ദിവസം ഉപവാസവ്രതം ചെയ്യുക, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ മൂന്ന് രാത്രികളുടെ വ്രതം; അല്ലെങ്കിൽ അഞ്ചു രാത്രിയോ ഏഴ് രാത്രിയോ വ്രതവും അനുഷ്ഠിക്കാം।

Word by Word

• ekāntaram: every-other-day (alternating)
• ekāntaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ekāntara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (vratam इति) — Neuter, Accusative singular; adjective qualifying 'vratam'

• vratam: vow, observance
• vratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• kuryāt: should perform
• kuryāt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम् — Optative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipada

• trirātra-vratam: a three-night vow
• trirātra-vratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + rātra (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्रिरात्रस्य व्रतम्) — Neuter, Accusative singular; genitive tatpurusha

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle) — indeclinable emphatic

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle) — 'or'

• pañcarātram: five nights (a five-night observance)
• pañcarātram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक) + rātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (पञ्च रात्राः यस्य तत्) — Neuter, Accusative singular; dvigu numeral compound

• saptarātram: seven nights (a seven-night observance)
• saptarātram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapta (प्रातिपदिक) + rātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः — Neuter, Accusative singular

• saṃprāpte: when (it has) arrived
• saṃprāpte: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + √prāp (धातु) → saṃprāpta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तम् — Locative singular; past passive participle used adjectivally (‘when attained/arrived’)

• kārtike: in Kārtika (month)
• kārtike: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative singular (in the month of Kārtika)

• vratī: the vow-observer
• vratī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vratin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (with Gaṅgā-ghāṭa context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kārtika-vratin in Kāśī at dawn: lamps along ghāṭas, the devotee counting nights of observance, offering water to the rising sun, then proceeding toward Viśvanātha with a calm, restrained demeanor.

Characters & Entities

• Kārtika
• Ūrja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even limited-duration vows in Kārtika are praised; sincere discipline according to one’s capacity is spiritually efficacious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader teaching belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa (Vārāṇasī/Kashi context), though this verse highlights Kārtika-vrata rather than a single tirtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake fasting/vow patterns: alternate days, or 3-night, 5-night, or 7-night observances during Kārtika.