Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

कार्तिक्यां परदारोत्थैः स विमुच्येत पातकैः । एषां युगत्रये शुद्धिरासीत्तत्र द्विजन्मनाम्

Transliteration

kārtikyāṃ paradārotthaiḥ sa vimucyeta pātakaiḥ | eṣāṃ yugatraye śuddhirāsīttatra dvijanmanām

Translation

കാർത്തിക മാസത്തിൽ അവൻ പരസ്ത്രീബന്ധത്തിൽ നിന്നുയർന്ന പാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് വിമുക്തനാകും. ഈ ദ്വിജന്മാർക്കു മൂന്നു യുഗങ്ങളിലും അവിടെ ശുദ്ധിയുണ്ടായിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• कार्तिक्याम्: in (the month of) Kārtika
• कार्तिक्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• परदारोत्थैः: arising from another’s wife (i.e., adultery-born)
• परदारोत्थैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परदार + उत्थ (प्रातिपदिक; उत्थ = कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (परदारात् उत्थाः = arising from another’s wife)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विमुच्येत: would be freed
• विमुच्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पातकैः: from sins
• पातकैः: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (also used in sense ‘from sins’ with separation)

• एषाम्: of these
• एषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• युगत्रये: in the three yugas
• युगत्रये: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (त्रयाणि युगानि)

• शुद्धिः: purification
• शुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• द्विजन्मनाम्: of the twice-born
• द्विजन्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kuṇḍa/tīrtha of Kārttika prāyaścitta (name not stated)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-sattamāḥ addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kārttika dawn at the kuṇḍa: pilgrims with lamps (dīpa) and tulasī/flowers (generic), performing snāna with solemn repentance; the atmosphere is austere, emphasizing moral purification.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika (month)
• Kuṇḍa/Tīrtha
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kārttika observance at a powerful tīrtha is upheld as a strong remedy even for grave moral transgressions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same tīrtha/kuṇḍa of Adhyāya 113, especially potent when approached in Kārttika.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kārttika-time practice centered on snāna at the tīrtha, framed as a prāyaścitta for certain sins.