Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

कूपेऽस्मिन्मोक्षनाथस्य लोकानां प्रेतमुक्तये । कार्तिकस्य तु मासस्य शुक्लपक्षे चतुर्दशी

Transliteration

kūpe'sminmokṣanāthasya lokānāṃ pretamuktaye | kārtikasya tu māsasya śuklapakṣe caturdaśī

Translation

अस्मिन् मोक्षनाथकूपे लोकानां प्रेतमुक्तये, कार्तिकमासस्य शुक्लपक्षे चतुर्दशी विशेषतः प्रशस्यते।

Word by Word

• कूपे: in the well
• कूपे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मोक्षनाथस्य: of the Lord of liberation
• मोक्षनाथस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मोक्षस्य नाथः)

• लोकानाम्: of the people/worlds
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• प्रेतमुक्तये: for the liberation of the departed
• प्रेतमुक्तये: Sampradāna (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रेतानां मुक्तिः)

• कार्तिकस्य: of Kārtika (month)
• कार्तिकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• तु: indeed / but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधसूचक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• मासस्य: of the month
• मासस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• शुक्लपक्षे: in the bright fortnight
• शुक्लपक्षे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोगः (शुक्लः पक्षः)

• चतुर्दशी: the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; तिथि-नाम

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mokṣanātha-kūpa

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (address appears in nearby verse; dialogue frame likely continuing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stone-lined sacred well under temple shade; pilgrims gather on Kārtika śukla caturdaśī with lamps, water-vessels, and offerings, invoking peace for departed souls.

Characters & Entities

• Mokṣanātha
• Kārtika
• Caturdaśī
• kūpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time (tithi/month) and place (tīrtha) combine to intensify merit, especially for rites aimed at ancestral/preter release.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The well (kūpa) of Mokṣanātha, praised for preta-mukti efficacy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance connected to Kārtika bright-fortnight caturdaśī at this well for the purpose of preta-release.