Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 121

Devanagari script

इत्येवंविधविप्रत्वमुक्तं श्रृणु युगादयः । नवमी कार्तिके शुक्ला कृतादिः परिकीर्तिता

Transliteration

ityevaṃvidhavipratvamuktaṃ śrṛṇu yugādayaḥ | navamī kārtike śuklā kṛtādiḥ parikīrtitā

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ ഇത്തരത്തിലുള്ള ബ്രാഹ്മണോത്തമത്വം വിവരിച്ചു. ഇനി യുഗാദികളെ കേൾക്കുക—കാർത്തിക ശുക്ല നവമിയെ കൃതയുഗാരംഭമായി പ്രസിദ്ധീകരിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākya-sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक (quotative/closure particle)

• evam-vidha-vipratvam: such Brahminhood/status
• evam-vidha-vipratvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: evam (अव्यय) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक) + vipratva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘एवम्विधं विप्रत्वम्’ (Brahminhood of such a kind)

• uktam: has been stated
• uktam: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ukta (प्रातिपदिक; √vac-वच्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त—‘said/declared’

• śṛṇu: hear
• śṛṇu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yuga-ādayaḥ: the yugas and the rest
• yuga-ādayaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuga (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘युगाः आदयः येषां ते’/‘युगादयः’ (the yugas etc.; as a list/topic)

• navamī: the ninth lunar day
• navamī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: navamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तिथिवाचक (lunar day)

• kārtike: in (the month of) Kārtika
• kārtike: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; मासवाचक (month-name)

• śuklā: (in) the bright fortnight
• śuklā: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śukla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘शुक्लपक्षसम्बद्धा’ (belonging to the bright fortnight)

• kṛta-ādiḥ: Kṛta (yuga) etc. (begins)
• kṛta-ādiḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘कृतं आदिः यस्य’ (having Kṛta as the first; i.e., Kṛta-yuga etc.)

• parikīrtitā: is proclaimed/declared
• parikīrtitā: Kriya (Predicative/क्रियार्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-kīrtita (प्रातिपदिक; √kīrt-कॄत्/कीर्त्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) used predicatively—‘is proclaimed’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yugādi (Kārttika-śukla-navamī as Kṛtayugādi)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic calendar motif: the moon’s bright fortnight with Navamī highlighted; sages point to a pañcāṅga while a subtle vision of the four yugas appears as concentric ages; lamps and offerings suggest Kārttika sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika
• Kṛta Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain calendrical junctions (Yugādis) are specially potent for dharma and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse glorifies sacred time (Kārttika śukla navamī) as a puṇya-kāla.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An instruction to observe and recognize Yugādi tithis; later verses specify dāna and homa as especially fruitful on these days.