Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 147

Devanagari script

कार्त्तिके शर्करापात्रं करकं रससंभृतम् । मार्गशीर्षे तु कार्पासं करकं घृतसंयुतम्

Transliteration

kārttike śarkarāpātraṃ karakaṃ rasasaṃbhṛtam | mārgaśīrṣe tu kārpāsaṃ karakaṃ ghṛtasaṃyutam

Translation

Pada bulan Kārttika, hendaklah didermakan sebuah bekas berisi gula serta kendi air (karaka) yang penuh dengan sari manis. Pada bulan Mārgaśīrṣa, hendaklah didermakan kendi yang diisi kapas, beserta ghee (mentega suci).

Word by Word

• कार्त्तिके: in (the month of) Kārttika
• कार्त्तिके: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालवाचक-सप्तमी (locative of time)

• शर्करा-पात्रम्: a vessel of sugar
• शर्करा-पात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्करा (प्रातिपदिक) + पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/प्रथमा or 2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शर्करायाः पात्रम्)

• करकम्: a water-pot (karaka)
• करकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/प्रथमा or 2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• रस-संभृतम्: filled with juice/liquid
• रस-संभृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक) + संभृत (कृदन्त; √भृ (धातु) उपसर्ग सम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), ‘सम्भृत’ = filled/stocked; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रसेन/रसैः संभृतम्—अर्थतः रसयुक्तम्)

• मार्गशीर्षे: in (the month of) Mārgaśīrṣa
• मार्गशीर्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गशीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालवाचक-सप्तमी

• तु: but/and then
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (contrastive particle)

• कार्पासम्: cotton
• कार्पासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्पास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• करकम्: a water-pot (karaka)
• करकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• घृत-संयुतम्: mixed with ghee
• घृत-संयुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (कृदन्त; √युज् (धातु) उपसर्ग सम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), ‘संयुत’ = joined/combined; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (घृतेन/घृतयुक्तम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha sphere

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vrata-observer presents a polished vessel of sugar and a decorated water-pot brimming with sweet juice to a seated brāhmaṇa near a riverbank shrine; Karttika ambience with lamps and clear autumn sky.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kārttika and allied months are sanctified through tangible generosity—sweetness and sustenance offered to others become spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa setting implies the Narmadā region’s sacred economy of gifts, vows, and pilgrimage merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kārttika gifts include sugar and a juice-filled water-pot; Mārgaśīrṣa prescribes a cotton-filled water-pot along with ghee.