Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 202

Devanagari script

अत्यद्भुतमिदं विद्वन्स्थानमेतत्प्रकीर्तितम् । कार्त्तिक्यां तु विशेषेण अत्र स्नात्वा शुचिव्रतः

Transliteration

atyadbhutamidaṃ vidvansthānametatprakīrtitam | kārttikyāṃ tu viśeṣeṇa atra snātvā śucivrataḥ

Translation

ഹേ വിദ്വാൻ! ഈ സ്ഥലം അത്യദ്ഭുതമെന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധീകരിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു. പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് കാർത്തിക മാസത്തിൽ ഇവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് ശുചിവ്രതം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുന്നവൻ…

Word by Word

• अति: very
• अति: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (prefix/adverb), अतिशयार्थक (excessively/very)

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful
• अद्भुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• विद्वन्: O learned one
• विद्वन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्थानम्: place
• स्थानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• एतत्: this (same)
• एतत्: Visheshana (Determiner/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रकीर्तितम्: is proclaimed
• प्रकीर्तितम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कार्त्तिक्याम्: in Kārttikā (month)
• कार्त्तिक्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्तिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विशेषार्थक (indeed)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); अव्ययीभावार्थे प्रयोगः (adverbial use: ‘especially’)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• शुचिव्रतः: one of pure vow
• शुचिव्रतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि-व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—कर्मधारयः (शुचिः व्रतः यस्य/शुचिव्रतः)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced, Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-tīrtha (Sarayū-ghāṭ context)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vidvan (learned listener)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned interlocutor is addressed while the narrator extols the wondrousness of Ayodhyā’s bathing place; pilgrims in white garments descend steps to the river at dawn in Kārttika, holding water-pots and prayer beads.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika (month)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is intensified by sacred time—Kārttika bathing with purity of conduct is specially praised.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A revered Ayodhyā sacred spot (sthāna) within the Ayodhyāmāhātmya narrative; the immediate locale continues from the preceding tīrtha discussion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at the site during Kārttika, accompanied by śuci-vrata (pure vows/discipline).