Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

ततो रथस्थितं देवं पूजयेद्गरुडध्वजम् । कार्त्तिकांते च विप्रेंद्रा गोमत्युदधिसंगमे

Transliteration

tato rathasthitaṃ devaṃ pūjayedgaruḍadhvajam | kārttikāṃte ca vipreṃdrā gomatyudadhisaṃgame

Translation

แล้วพึงบูชาพระผู้เป็นเจ้าผู้มีธงครุฑ เมื่อประทับยืนบนราชรถ และเมื่อสิ้นเดือนการ์ตติกะ โอ้พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐ จงกระทำ (พิธีนั้น) ณ สถานที่บรรจบของแม่น้ำโคมตีและมหาสมุทร

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तर (then/thereafter)

• रथस्थितम्: seated/standing on the chariot
• रथस्थितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थित (√स्था धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (रथे स्थितः) → ‘rathasthita’; देवं इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• देवम्: the deity
• देवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गरुडध्वजम्: (the Lord) whose banner is Garuḍa
• गरुडध्वजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गरुडस्य ध्वजः यस्य) इति बहुव्रीह्यर्थे रूढिः; देवम् इति विशेषणरूपेण

• कार्त्तिकान्ते: at the end of Kārttika (month)
• कार्त्तिकान्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्तिक (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कार्त्तिकस्य अन्ते)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• विप्रेन्द्राः: O best of Brahmins
• विप्रेन्द्राः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे संबोधनार्थक प्रयोगः (हे विप्रेन्द्राः)

• गोमत्युदधिसंगमे: at the meeting of the Gomati (river) and the ocean
• गोमत्युदधिसंगमे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती (प्रातिपदिक) + उदधि (प्रातिपदिक) + संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गोमत्याः उदधेः संगमे) ‘at the confluence of Gomati and the ocean’

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī–Udadhī Saṅgama (Dvārakā)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprendra (best of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the Gomatī’s mouth where it meets the ocean, a decorated chariot bearing Garuḍadhvaja Viṣṇu stands amid crowds; flags whip in sea wind; priests offer lamps and flowers as the sun sets on Kārttika’s final day.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (Garuḍadhvaja)
• Gomatī
• Ocean (Udādhi)
• Kārttika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (Kārttika’s end) and sacred place (river–ocean confluence) together intensify the fruit of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gomatī–ocean confluence (Gomatī-udadhi-saṅgama) in the Dvārakā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship of Garuḍadhvaja Viṣṇu, specifically described as chariot-situated, performed at Kārttika’s end at the confluence.