Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

कामिन्याश्च विशेषेण प्राहैतच्छंकरात्मजः । कार्तिकेयो द्विजश्रेष्ठाः सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम्

Transliteration

kāminyāśca viśeṣeṇa prāhaitacchaṃkarātmajaḥ | kārtikeyo dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ satyametanmayoditam

Translation

ഇത് പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് കാമാകുലയായ സ്ത്രീകളെ സംബന്ധിച്ചാണ്; ശങ്കരപുത്രനായ കാർത്തികേയൻ ഇതു പ്രസ്താവിച്ചു. ഹേ ദ്വിജശ്രേഷ്ഠന്മാരേ, ഞാൻ പറഞ്ഞത് സത്യമാണ്.

Word by Word

• कामिन्याः: of the woman/maiden
• कामिन्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial instrumental: 'especially')

• प्राह: said/spoke
• प्राह: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एतत्: this (statement)
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• शंकरात्मजः: Śaṅkara’s son
• शंकरात्मजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर + आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शंकरस्य आत्मजः)

• कार्तिकेयः: Kārttikeya
• कार्तिकेयः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिकेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नाम

• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां श्रेष्ठाः)

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Pratijna/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; वाक्ये विधेय-रूपेण

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (कर्ता/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• उदितम्: uttered/said
• उदितम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+इ (धातु) → उदित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (said/uttered)

Speaker

Kārttikeya (Skanda)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kārttikeya stands or sits as teacher before a circle of brāhmaṇas; his right hand raised in instruction (vyākhyāna-mudrā). A subtle feminine figure in the background symbolizes the addressed kāminī audience.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttikeya
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Dvijaśreṣṭha (addressed audience)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teachings are framed with speaker-authority; Skanda affirms the reliability of the vowed observance and its fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement supports the same tīrtha-context (Khaṇḍaśilā/Kāmeśvara tradition) by guaranteeing the truth of its promised merits.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite; it reinforces the prior Trayodaśī-oriented worship teaching as trustworthy.