Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 192

Devanagari script

तेनेष्टं क्रतुभिः सर्वैः कृतं तीर्थावगाहनम् । दीपदानं कृतं येन कार्त्तिके केशवाग्रतः

Transliteration

teneṣṭaṃ kratubhiḥ sarvaiḥ kṛtaṃ tīrthāvagāhanam | dīpadānaṃ kṛtaṃ yena kārttike keśavāgrataḥ

Translation

ผู้ใดถวายทานประทีปในเดือนการ์ตติกะต่อหน้าเกศวะ ผู้นั้นประหนึ่งได้บำเพ็ญยัญทั้งปวงแล้ว และประหนึ่งได้อาบน้ำในทีรถะทั้งหลายแล้ว

Word by Word

• तेन: by that (person/act)
• तेन: करण (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• इष्टम्: (sacrifices) have been performed
• इष्टम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थः ‘यज्ञादि कृतम्/इष्टम्’

• क्रतुभिः: by rites/sacrifices
• क्रतुभिः: करण (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• सर्वैः: all
• सर्वैः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् क्रतुभिः इति

• कृतम्: done/performed
• कृतम्: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तीर्थावगाहनम्: bathing in sacred fords
• तीर्थावगाहनम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-अवगाहन (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ + अवगाहन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास — ‘तीर्थे अवगाहनम्’ (bathing/immersion in a tīrtha)

• दीपदानम्: offering of a lamp
• दीपदानम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप-दान (प्रातिपदिक; दीप + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास — ‘दीपस्य दानम्’

• कृतम्: has been done
• कृतम्: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• येन: by whom
• येन: करण (Instrument/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

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

• केशवाग्रतः: before Keśava
• केशवाग्रतः: अधिकरण (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केशव-अग्रतः (अव्यय; केशव + अग्रतः)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययीभाव-समास — ‘केशवस्य अग्रतः’ (in front of Keśava)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced: Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative style—Brahmā to Nārada)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (with focus on Keśava worship in Kārttika)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee at dusk in Kārttika offers a bright lamp before Keśava’s image, with river-ghāṭa silhouettes and other lamps floating or placed along steps; priests chant softly as the flame reflects on water.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika
• Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• Dīpadāna
• Tīrtha-snāna
• Kratu (sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kārttika devotion to Viṣṇu, expressed through lamp-offering, is treated as a comprehensive fulfillment of major religious duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is situated in Ayodhyāmāhātmya; the merit is framed within Ayodhyā’s sacred landscape and Viṣṇu-worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dīpadāna in the month of Kārttika, performed before Keśava (Viṣṇu).