Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

द्विसप्ततिर्वयं पापे स्नानार्थं पुष्करे गताः । कार्तिक्यां व्योममार्गेण मनोमारुतरंहसा

Transliteration

dvisaptatirvayaṃ pāpe snānārthaṃ puṣkare gatāḥ | kārtikyāṃ vyomamārgeṇa manomārutaraṃhasā

Translation

‘ਅਸੀਂ ਪਾਪੀ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਵੀ, ਬਹੱਤਰ ਜਣੇ ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਸਨਾਨ ਲਈ ਪੁਸ਼ਕਰ ਗਏ। ਕਾਰਤਿਕ ਮਹੀਨੇ ਅਸੀਂ ਆਕਾਸ਼ ਮਾਰਗ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਮਨ ਤੇ ਪਵਨ ਵਰਗੀ ਤੇਜ਼ੀ ਨਾਲ ਚਲੇ।’

Word by Word

• द्विसप्ततिः: seventy-two
• द्विसप्ततिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (संख्या) + सप्तति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (70+2=72)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• पापे: O sinful one
• पापे: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे/वाक्यसम्बोधन (vocative sense)

• स्नान-अर्थम्: for bathing
• स्नान-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक (for the purpose of bathing)

• पुष्करे: in Puṣkara
• पुष्करे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• गताः: went, having gone
• गताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (we having gone)

• कार्तिक्याम्: in (the time of) Kārtikī
• कार्तिक्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालवाचक (in Kārtikī/full-moon of Kārtika or Kārtika time)

• व्योम-मार्गेण: by the sky-route
• व्योम-मार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्योम (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; करण (by the path of the sky)

• मनः-मारुत-रंहसा: with mind-and-wind-like speed
• मनः-मारुत-रंहसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + मारुत (प्रातिपदिक) + रंहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; करण (with the speed of the mind/wind)

Speaker

Narrator within the Tīrthamāhātmya (contextual narrator; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The king’s circle / narrative audience (within episode)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Seventy-two pilgrims moving through the sky like a luminous procession toward Puṣkara lake; below, the desert town and the sacred sarovar glint under Kārttika moonlight.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣkara
• Kārttika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even those burdened with sin seek purification through tīrtha-snānā, especially in the sanctifying month of Kārttika.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara is highlighted as a destination for purifying sacred bathing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (holy bathing) undertaken as a pilgrimage act, with emphasis on performing it in Kārttika.