Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

इन्द्रश्चाश्वयुजे मासि धाता तपति कार्तिके । मार्गशीर्षे तथा मित्रः पौषे पूषा दिवाकरः

Transliteration

indraścāśvayuje māsi dhātā tapati kārtike | mārgaśīrṣe tathā mitraḥ pauṣe pūṣā divākaraḥ

Translation

ആശ്വയുജ മാസത്തിൽ ഇന്ദ്രൻ അധിഷ്ഠാതാവാകുന്നു; കാർത്തികയിൽ ധാതാ തപിക്കുന്നു. മാർഗശീർഷത്തിൽ മിത്രൻ, പൗഷത്തിൽ പൂഷാ—ഹേ ദിവാകരാ—ദീപ്തനാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• आश्वयुजे: in Āśvayuja
• आश्वयुजे: Adhikarana (time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्वयुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; मासवाचक

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धाता: Dhātā
• धाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तपति: shines/burns
• तपति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कार्तिके: in Kārtika
• कार्तिके: Adhikarana (time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मासवाचक

• मार्गशीर्षे: in Mārgaśīrṣa
• मार्गशीर्षे: Adhikarana (time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गशीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मासवाचक

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Connector/Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘likewise’ (connector/adverb)

• मित्रः: Mitra
• मित्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पौषे: in Pauṣa
• पौषे: Adhikarana (time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मासवाचक

• पूषा: Pūṣā (Pūṣan)
• पूषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दिवाकरः: Divākara (Sun)
• दिवाकरः: Apposition/Name-list item (संज्ञा/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवाकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘दिवः आकरः’ (maker of day)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-month procession: Indra with vajra amid clearing skies (Āśvina), Dhātṛ as a serene cosmic scribe/ordainer with measuring cord (Kārtika), Mitra as a gentle radiant deity blessing companions (Mārgaśīrṣa), Pūṣan as a protector of roads with staff and cattle imagery (Pauṣa).

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Dhātṛ
• Mitra
• Pūṣan
• Āśvayuja (Āśvina)
• Kārtika
• Mārgaśīrṣa
• Pauṣa
• Divākara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames the year as a sacred procession of divine guardians, encouraging month-wise mindfulness and worship aligned with kāla (time).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya provides the setting; such calendrical sanctification supports pilgrimage-season observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; Kārtika is named, which is widely associated with vrata practice, but this verse itself only assigns Dhātṛ to the month.