Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

कार्तिक्यां कृत्तिकायोगे यः करोति प्रदक्षिणाम् । त्रिपुष्करस्य मौनेन नरकं न स पश्यति

Transliteration

kārtikyāṃ kṛttikāyoge yaḥ karoti pradakṣiṇām | tripuṣkarasya maunena narakaṃ na sa paśyati

Translation

കാർത്തിക മാസത്തിൽ കൃത്തികാ-യോഗം വന്നപ്പോൾ ആരെങ്കിലും പ്രദക്ഷിണ ചെയ്യുകയും, ത്രിപുഷ്കരത്തിൽ മൗനവ്രതം ആചരിക്കുകയും ചെയ്താൽ, അവൻ നരകം കാണുകയില്ല।

Word by Word

• कार्तिक्याम्: in (the month of) Kārtika / on Kārtikī
• कार्तिक्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालवाचक-सप्तमी (in the month/occasion of Kārtikī)

• कृत्तिकायोगे: at the conjunction/asterism of Kṛttikā
• कृत्तिकायोगे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्तिका + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कृत्तिकायाः योगः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• करोति: does/performs
• करोति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रदक्षिणाम्: circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्रिपुष्करस्य: of Tripuṣkara (the three Puṣkaras)
• त्रिपुष्करस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; समासः—त्रीणि पुष्कराणि (द्विगु)

• मौनेन: by silence / with vow of silence
• मौनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; करणवाचक

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

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

• पश्यति: sees/experiences
• पश्यति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Bhīṣma (to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tripuṣkara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Pushkar’s sacred precincts, pilgrims in Kārtika perform silent circumambulation around the lake/temple path under a starry sky marked by Kṛttikā; lamps line the ghāṭas; the mood is restrained and devotional.

Characters & Entities

• Kārtika (month)
• Kṛttikā
• Pradakṣiṇā
• Tripuṣkara (Pushkar)
• Mauna-vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kārtika-devotion expressed through pradakṣiṇā and disciplined vows (like mauna) at holy places is exalted as a liberating purifier.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tripuṣkara (commonly identified with the Puṣkara tīrtha region) is singled out.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing pradakṣiṇā during Kārtika at Kṛttikā-yoga and keeping mauna (silence) at Tripuṣkara.