Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

गीतां पठंति कृष्णाग्रे कार्तिकं सकलं द्विजाः । एकभक्तेन नक्तेन तथैवायाचितेन च

Transliteration

gītāṃ paṭhaṃti kṛṣṇāgre kārtikaṃ sakalaṃ dvijāḥ | ekabhaktena naktena tathaivāyācitena ca

Translation

സമ്പൂർണ്ണ കാർത്തികമാസം ദ്വിജന്മാർ ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണന്റെ സന്നിധിയിൽ ഗീതാപാരായണം ചെയ്യുന്നു; അവർ ഏകഭക്തം (ദിവസത്തിൽ ഒരിക്കൽ), നക്തം (രാത്രിഭോജനം) കൂടാതെ ചോദിക്കാതെ ലഭിച്ച അന്നം കൊണ്ടും ജീവിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• गीताम्: the Gita
• गीताम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पठन्ति: they recite/read
• पठन्ति: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• कृष्णाग्रे: before Krishna
• कृष्णाग्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: कृष्णस्य अग्रे = in front of Krishna); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• कार्तिकम्: (the month of) Kartika
• कार्तिकम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (मास-नाम), द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सकलम्: entire
• सकलम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of कार्तिकम्: whole/entire)

• द्विजाः: Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• एकभक्तेन: with one-meal observance
• एकभक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (एकं भक्तं यस्य/एकभक्त = single meal; usage as regimen); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगे, तृतीया, एकवचन; साधन/रीति (instrumental of manner)

• नक्तेन: with night-only (fasting regimen)
• नक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; व्रत-विशेष (night-only eating)

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्या-अव्यय (thus/so)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis: indeed/only)

• अयाचितेन: with unsolicited (food)
• अयाचितेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयाचित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) from याच् (धातु) with अ-निषेध; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगे, तृतीया, एकवचन; व्रत-विशेष (unsolicited food)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (and)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (Kṛṣṇa-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a Kṛṣṇa temple: dvijas seated with palm-leaf manuscripts, reciting the Gītā; lamps and incense; the month of Kārtika suggested by rows of dīpas; devotees observing simple diet and restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Kārtika (month)
• Gītā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kārtika is a dharma-month where devotion to Kṛṣṇa, scripture-recitation, and restraint in food become powerful means of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, where one performs recitation in Kṛṣṇa’s presence (kṛṣṇāgre).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gītā-pāṭha during Kārtika, along with dietary disciplines: ekabhukta (one meal), nakta (night meal), and ayācita (unasked food).