Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 180

Devanagari script

कार्तिक्यां च विशेषेण स्नातव्यं विजितेन्द्रियैः । कार्तिके मासि विप्रर्षे सर्वे देवाः सवासवाः । स्नातुमायान्त्ययोध्यायां गोप्रतारे विशेषतः

Transliteration

kārtikyāṃ ca viśeṣeṇa snātavyaṃ vijitendriyaiḥ | kārtike māsi viprarṣe sarve devāḥ savāsavāḥ | snātumāyāntyayodhyāyāṃ gopratāre viśeṣataḥ

Translation

കൂടാതെ പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് കാർത്തികയിൽ, ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങളെ ജയിച്ചവർ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യണം. ഹേ വിപ്രശ്രേഷ്ഠാ! കാർത്തിക മാസത്തിൽ ഇന്ദ്രനോടുകൂടിയ എല്ലാ ദേവന്മാരും അയോധ്യയിൽ സ്നാനത്തിനായി വരുന്നു—വിശേഷമായി ഗോപ്രതാരത്തിൽ.

Word by Word

• कार्तिक्याम्: in (the month of) Kārtikā
• कार्तिक्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालवाचक-अधिकरणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (instrumental used adverbially)

• स्नातव्यम्: should be bathed (one should bathe)
• स्नातव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/विधेयक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-भावः ‘ought to be bathed’ (impersonal obligation)

• विजितेन्द्रियैः: by those who have conquered the senses
• विजितेन्द्रियैः: Karana/Agent-Qualifier (Instrumental/तृतीया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विजित-इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक; विजित + इन्द्रिय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (कर्तृ-समूहः)

• कार्तिके: in Kārtika
• कार्तिके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालवाचक-अधिकरणम्

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• विप्रर्षे: O brahmin-sage
• विप्रर्षे: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र-ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक; विप्र + ऋषि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधनम्

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (देवाः)

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• सवासवाः: together with Indra
• सवासवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-वासव (प्रातिपदिक; स + वासव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘वासवेन सह’ (including Indra) विशेषणम् (देवाः)

• स्नातुम्: to bathe
• स्नातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (infinitive)

• आयान्ति: come
• आयान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• अयोध्यायाम्: in Ayodhyā
• अयोध्यायाम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयोध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• गोप्रतारे: at Gopratāra
• गोप्रतारे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो-प्रतार (प्रातिपदिक; गो + प्रतार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• विशेषतः: particularly
• विशेषतः: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय; विशेष + तस्)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced: Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya instruction to a brāhmaṇa interlocutor)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopratāra

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprārṣa / best of brāhmaṇas (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kārtika dawn at Gopratāra: a celestial procession of devas led by Indra descends to the Sarayū ghāṭ; disciplined pilgrims bathe alongside, lamps flicker, and the river shines with divine presence.

Characters & Entities

• Kārtika
• Ayodhyā
• Gopratāra
• Indra (Vāsava)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kārtika is a uniquely potent sacred period; sense-control plus tīrtha-snānā yields exceptional merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gopratāra Tīrtha in Ayodhyā, highlighted as a favored bathing place even for the devas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing during Kārtika, ideally by those practicing indriya-jaya (sense-restraint), specifically at Gopratāra.