Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

तथापि चैव कर्तव्यं लोकद्वयमभीप्सता । कार्तिक्यां ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठा वैष्णवैः पुरुषैरिह

Transliteration

tathāpi caiva kartavyaṃ lokadvayamabhīpsatā | kārtikyāṃ brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhā vaiṣṇavaiḥ puruṣairiha

Translation

എങ്കിലും, ഹേ ബ്രാഹ്മണശ്രേഷ്ഠന്മാരേ, ഇഹപരലോകസിദ്ധി ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്ന വൈഷ്ണവപുരുഷന്മാർ കാർത്തികമാസത്തിൽ ഇവിടെ ഈ നിയമം നിർബന്ധമായി അനുഷ്ഠിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• tathāpi: nevertheless
• tathāpi: Sambandha/Discourse (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययसमुच्चय; अर्थः—तथापि (nevertheless)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• eva: indeed / certainly
• eva: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• kartavyam: must be done
• kartavyam: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kartavya (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कृदन्तः—तव्यत् (gerundive: to be done)

• lokadvayam: the two worlds
• lokadvayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक) + dvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः—लोकयोः द्वयम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• abhīpsatā: by one desiring
• abhīpsatā: Karta (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-तृतीया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhīps (धातु) → abhīpsat (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ) ‘अभीप्सत्’ = desiring; तृतीया—कर्तृसाधन/हेतौ (by/for one who desires)

• kārtikyām: in Kārtikā (month/season)
• kārtikyām: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; कालवाचक (in Kārtikā/Kārttika time)

• brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ: O best of brāhmaṇas
• brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (8/1), बहुवचन; समासः—ब्राह्मणानां श्रेष्ठाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); सम्बोधनार्थे

• vaiṣṇavaiḥ: by Vaiṣṇava (devotee) men
• vaiṣṇavaiḥ: Karta/Instrument (Agent/Means/कर्ता/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaiṣṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; विशेषण (devotees of Viṣṇu)

• puruṣaiḥ: by men
• puruṣaiḥ: Karta/Instrument (Agent/Means/कर्ता/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: here)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya didactic style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇa-śreṣṭhāḥ / dvijāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of Vaiṣṇava devotees, marked with ūrdhva-puṇḍra, receiving instruction from a sage; the month of Kārtika indicated by lamps and a bright autumn moon; the tīrtha/temple in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Kārtika
• Vaiṣṇava
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sincere Kārtika observance (niyama) is presented as a direct means to welfare in both this life and the next.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya framework; the immediate emphasis here is on Kārtika-mahātmya rather than naming a single tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes performing a Kārtika niyama/observance, especially by Vaiṣṇava devotees seeking lokadvaya-siddhi.