Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

द्विसप्ततिर्वयं पापे स्नानार्थं पुष्करे गताः । कार्तिक्यां व्योममार्गेण मनोमारुतरंहसा

Transliteration

dvisaptatirvayaṃ pāpe snānārthaṃ puṣkare gatāḥ | kārtikyāṃ vyomamārgeṇa manomārutaraṃhasā

Translation

‘പാപികളായ ഞങ്ങൾ എഴുപത്തിരണ്ട് പേർ സ്നാനാർത്ഥം പുഷ്കരത്തിലേക്ക് പോയി. കാർത്തിക മാസത്തിൽ ആകാശമാർഗ്ഗം വഴി മനസ്സും കാറ്റും പോലെ വേഗത്തിൽ സഞ്ചരിച്ചു.’

Word by Word

• द्विसप्ततिः: seventy-two
• द्विसप्ततिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (संख्या) + सप्तति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (70+2=72)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• पापे: O sinful one
• पापे: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे/वाक्यसम्बोधन (vocative sense)

• स्नान-अर्थम्: for bathing
• स्नान-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक (for the purpose of bathing)

• पुष्करे: in Puṣkara
• पुष्करे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• गताः: went, having gone
• गताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (we having gone)

• कार्तिक्याम्: in (the time of) Kārtikī
• कार्तिक्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालवाचक (in Kārtikī/full-moon of Kārtika or Kārtika time)

• व्योम-मार्गेण: by the sky-route
• व्योम-मार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्योम (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; करण (by the path of the sky)

• मनः-मारुत-रंहसा: with mind-and-wind-like speed
• मनः-मारुत-रंहसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + मारुत (प्रातिपदिक) + रंहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; करण (with the speed of the mind/wind)

Speaker

Narrator within the Tīrthamāhātmya (contextual narrator; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The king’s circle / narrative audience (within episode)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Seventy-two pilgrims moving through the sky like a luminous procession toward Puṣkara lake; below, the desert town and the sacred sarovar glint under Kārttika moonlight.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣkara
• Kārttika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even those burdened with sin seek purification through tīrtha-snānā, especially in the sanctifying month of Kārttika.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara is highlighted as a destination for purifying sacred bathing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (holy bathing) undertaken as a pilgrimage act, with emphasis on performing it in Kārttika.