Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तत्र सांवत्सरी यात्रा कर्त्तव्या सुप्रयत्नतः । ऊर्जकृष्णनवम्यां च सर्वपापापनुत्तये

Transliteration

tatra sāṃvatsarī yātrā karttavyā suprayatnataḥ | ūrjakṛṣṇanavamyāṃ ca sarvapāpāpanuttaye

Translation

तेथे वार्षिक यात्रा अत्यंत प्रयत्नाने करावी; आणि ऊर्ज (कार्तिक) महिन्याच्या कृष्णपक्ष नवमीस, सर्व पापांच्या नाशासाठी।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of place)

• सांवत्सरी: annual
• सांवत्सरी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सांवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण (feminine nominative singular adjective)

• यात्रा: pilgrimage
• यात्रा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)

• कर्त्तव्या: to be done; must be performed
• कर्त्तव्या: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (predicate adjective)

• सुप्रयत्नतः: with great effort
• सुप्रयत्नतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्ययप्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of manner)

• ऊर्जकृष्णनवम्यां: on the ninth day of the dark fortnight of Ūrja (Kārtika)
• ऊर्जकृष्णनवम्यां: Adhikarana (Time locus/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊर्ज (प्रातिपदिक) + कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + नवमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) — ‘ऊर्जमासस्य कृष्णपक्षस्य नवमी’ (locative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• सर्वपापापनुत्तये: for the removal of all sins
• सर्वपापापनुत्तये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + अपनुत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th case), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) — ‘सर्वेषां पापानाम् अपनुत्तिः’ (dative singular: for removal)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced: Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa dialogic style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rukmiṇīkuṇḍa (yātrā to the kuṇḍa)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muniśreṣṭha (addressed sage) and by extension pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of pilgrims returning annually: banners, lamps, and offerings; night or dawn ambience of Kārtika; the pond glows with rows of dīpas, emphasizing the ninth tithi of the dark fortnight.

Characters & Entities

• Ūrja (Kārtika month)
• kṛṣṇa-pakṣa navamī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage gains special potency when aligned with sacred time; disciplined annual observance is praised as a purifier of sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rukmiṇī-kuṇḍa in Ayodhyā, recommended for a yearly yātrā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform an annual yātrā, especially on Ūrja (Kārtika) month’s kṛṣṇa-pakṣa navamī, for sarva-pāpa removal.