Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

किं दानैः किं व्रतैर्होमैः किं यज्ञैर्वहुविस्तरैः । कार्तिक्यां पुष्करे स्नानैः सर्वेषां लभ्यते फलम्

Transliteration

kiṃ dānaiḥ kiṃ vratairhomaiḥ kiṃ yajñairvahuvistaraiḥ | kārtikyāṃ puṣkare snānaiḥ sarveṣāṃ labhyate phalam

Translation

จะต้องมีทานอะไร จะต้องมีว्रตอะไร จะต้องมีโหมะหรือยัญญะอันพิสดารไปไย? เพียงอาบน้ำ ณ ปุษกราในเดือนการ์ตติกะ ก็ได้ผลแห่งทั้งหมดนั้น

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: प्रश्न/निषेधार्थ (Interrogative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रश्नार्थक-निपात (elliptic ‘what use?’)

• दानैः: by gifts
• दानैः: करण (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: प्रश्न/निषेधार्थ
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रश्नार्थक-निपात

• व्रतैः: by vows
• व्रतैः: करण (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• होमैः: by oblations
• होमैः: करण (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: प्रश्न/निषेधार्थ
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रश्नार्थक-निपात

• यज्ञैः: by sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: करण (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• बहुविस्तरैः: of great elaboration
• बहुविस्तरैः: करण-विशेषण (Means qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु-विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक; बहु + विस्तर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘यज्ञैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; कर्मधारय (बहवः विस्तराः येषां ते)

• कार्तिक्याम्: in Kārtika
• कार्तिक्याम्: अधिकरण (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• पुष्करे: at Pushkara
• पुष्करे: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• स्नानैः: by baths
• स्नानैः: करण (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सर्वेषाम्: for all (people)
• सर्वेषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Possessor/Beneficiary group)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन; जनसमूह-निर्देश

• लभ्यते: is obtained
• लभ्यते: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: कर्ता (Subject in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे कर्तृस्थानी

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Tīrthamāhātmya; specific speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single bather in Puṣkara is shown with symbolic icons—gift bowls, vow-knot, sacred fire, and yajña altar—radiating from the water, indicating all fruits obtained through snāna.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣkara
• Kārttika
• Dāna
• Vrata
• Homa
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In certain sacred times and places, a simple act done with devotion—like tīrtha-snāna—can encompass the merit of many complex rituals.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara, especially during the auspicious month of Kārttika.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing at Puṣkara in Kārttika, presented as yielding the results of dāna, vrata, homa, and yajña.