Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

कार्तिके शुक्लपक्षस्य प्रारभ्य दशमी तिथिम् । पूर्णिमामवधिं कृत्वा यात्रा सांवत्सरी भवेत्

Transliteration

kārtike śuklapakṣasya prārabhya daśamī tithim | pūrṇimāmavadhiṃ kṛtvā yātrā sāṃvatsarī bhavet

Translation

കാർത്തിക ശുക്ലപക്ഷത്തിലെ ദശമി തിഥിയിൽ ആരംഭിച്ച് പൗർണ്ണമി വരെ തുടരുന്ന ഈ യാത്ര വാർഷിക വ്രതാചാരമായി ഭവിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• कार्तिके: in Kārtika (month)
• कार्तिके: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन = Masculine, Locative singular (month)

• शुक्लपक्षस्य: of the bright fortnight
• शुक्लपक्षस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन = Masculine, Genitive singular; कर्मधारयः (शुक्लः पक्षः)

• प्रारभ्य: starting from
• प्रारभ्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + रभ् (धातु) → प्रारभ्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त = gerund/absolutive: "having begun/starting from"

• दशमी: tenth
• दशमी: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन = Feminine, Accusative singular; विशेषणम् (तिथिम्)

• तिथिम्: lunar day
• तिथिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन = Feminine, Accusative singular

• पूर्णिमाम्: full-moon day
• पूर्णिमाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्णिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन = Feminine, Accusative singular

• अवधिम्: as the limit/end
• अवधिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन = Masculine, Accusative singular

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त = gerund/absolutive: "having made"

• यात्रा: pilgrimage/procession
• यात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन = Feminine, Nominative singular

• सांवत्सरी: annual
• सांवत्सरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सांवत्सरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन = Feminine, Nominative singular; विशेषणम् (यात्रा)

• भवेत्: would be/should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Potential/Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद = Optative, 3rd person singular

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-yātrā (Kārttika sāṃvatsarī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims begin a Kārttika bright-fortnight yātrā on Daśamī, continuing with lamps, bathing, and temple visits until Pūrṇimā; a calendar-like procession through ghāṭas and shrines.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika
• Daśamī
• Pūrṇimā
• Viṣṇu-Hari (context implied)
• Ayodhyā (context implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time amplifies sacred place; regularly returning in Kārttika makes devotion steady and renews merit annually.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā’s pilgrimage circuit connected to Cakratīrtha and the Viṣṇu-Hari presence (context of the passage).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yātrā (pilgrimage observance) to be performed yearly from Kārttika Śukla Daśamī through Pūrṇimā.