Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 112

Devanagari script

प्राजापत्यं यदा ऋक्षं तिथौ तस्यां भवेद्यदि । सा महाकार्तिकी पुण्या देवानामपि दुर्लभा

Transliteration

prājāpatyaṃ yadā ṛkṣaṃ tithau tasyāṃ bhavedyadi | sā mahākārtikī puṇyā devānāmapi durlabhā

Translation

അതേ തിഥിയിൽ പ്രാജാപത്യ നക്ഷത്രം വന്നാൽ, ആ കാർത്തികീ പരമ മഹത്തായ പുണ്യ ‘മഹാകാർത്തികീ’ ആകുന്നു—ദേവന്മാർക്കും ദുർലഭം।

Word by Word

• प्राजापत्यम्: Prājāpatya (name of a nakṣatra/asterism)
• प्राजापत्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राजापत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘ऋक्षम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक

• ऋक्षम्: the nakṣatra (asterism)
• ऋक्षम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तिथौ: on the tithi (lunar day)
• तिथौ: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तस्याम्: on that (tithi)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘तिथौ’ इत्यस्य अन्वादेशः

• भवेत्: should occur/be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक-निपात (conditional particle)

• सा: that (tithi)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महा-कार्तिकी: the great Kārtikī (tithi)
• महा-कार्तिकी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्तिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (‘महती कार्तिकी’)

• पुण्या: holy, meritorious
• पुण्या: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘सा/महाकार्तिकी’ इति विशेषणम्

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• दुर्लभा: rare to obtain
• दुर्लभा: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘सा/महाकार्तिकी’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kṛṣṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ‘rare even for gods’ night at Prabhāsa: the sky is emphasized with bright constellations; pilgrims perform intensified worship, lamps and offerings filling the shoreline/temple precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākārtikī
• Prājāpatya (nakṣatra)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rare cosmic alignments intensify dharma and merit, making certain observances exceptionally fruitful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context remains Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where such sacred timing is especially celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Honoring Kārtikī when the Prājāpatya nakṣatra coincides, recognizing it as Mahākārtikī.