Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

इन्द्रश्चाश्वयुजे मासि धाता तपति कार्तिके । मार्गशीर्षे तथा मित्रः पौषे पूषा दिवाकरः

Transliteration

indraścāśvayuje māsi dhātā tapati kārtike | mārgaśīrṣe tathā mitraḥ pauṣe pūṣā divākaraḥ

Translation

آشوَیُج کے مہینے میں اِنْدر حاکم ہے، اور کارتک میں دھاتَر تپشِ تیز سے درخشاں ہوتا ہے۔ اسی طرح مارگشیرش میں مِتر، اور پَوش کے مہینے میں پُوشَن—اے دیواکر!—مقرر ہے۔

Word by Word

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• आश्वयुजे: in Āśvayuja
• आश्वयुजे: Adhikarana (time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्वयुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; मासवाचक

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धाता: Dhātā
• धाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तपति: shines/burns
• तपति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कार्तिके: in Kārtika
• कार्तिके: Adhikarana (time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मासवाचक

• मार्गशीर्षे: in Mārgaśīrṣa
• मार्गशीर्षे: Adhikarana (time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गशीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मासवाचक

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Connector/Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘likewise’ (connector/adverb)

• मित्रः: Mitra
• मित्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पौषे: in Pauṣa
• पौषे: Adhikarana (time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मासवाचक

• पूषा: Pūṣā (Pūṣan)
• पूषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दिवाकरः: Divākara (Sun)
• दिवाकरः: Apposition/Name-list item (संज्ञा/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवाकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘दिवः आकरः’ (maker of day)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-month procession: Indra with vajra amid clearing skies (Āśvina), Dhātṛ as a serene cosmic scribe/ordainer with measuring cord (Kārtika), Mitra as a gentle radiant deity blessing companions (Mārgaśīrṣa), Pūṣan as a protector of roads with staff and cattle imagery (Pauṣa).

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Dhātṛ
• Mitra
• Pūṣan
• Āśvayuja (Āśvina)
• Kārtika
• Mārgaśīrṣa
• Pauṣa
• Divākara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames the year as a sacred procession of divine guardians, encouraging month-wise mindfulness and worship aligned with kāla (time).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya provides the setting; such calendrical sanctification supports pilgrimage-season observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; Kārtika is named, which is widely associated with vrata practice, but this verse itself only assigns Dhātṛ to the month.