Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

प्रोक्तं च कार्तिके मासि कृत्तिकास्थे निशाकरे । सम्यग्भीष्मव्रतं कृत्वा स्नात्वात्र सलिले शुभे

Transliteration

proktaṃ ca kārtike māsi kṛttikāsthe niśākare | samyagbhīṣmavrataṃ kṛtvā snātvātra salile śubhe

Translation

又宣说：于迦尔提迦月，当月亮住于昴宿（Kṛttikā）之时，应如法修持毗湿摩誓（Bhīṣma-vrata），并在此吉祥之水中沐浴。

Word by Word

• proktam: said, declared
• proktam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vac (धातु) → prokta (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• kārtike: in (the month of) Kārtika
• kārtike: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• māsi: in the month
• māsi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• kṛttikāsthe: when (the moon) is in Kṛttikā (nakṣatra)
• kṛttikāsthe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛttikā + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कृत्तिकासु स्थितः इति (locative tatpuruṣa)

• niśākare: in the moon
• niśākare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśā + kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; निशायाः करः इति (moon)

• samyak: properly, duly
• samyak: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb)

• bhīṣmavratam: the Bhīṣma vow
• bhīṣmavratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhīṣma + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; भीष्मस्य व्रतम् इति

• kṛtvā: having performed
• kṛtvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) → kṛtvā (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √snā (धातु) → snātvā (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• salile: in the water
• salile: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: salila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• śubhe: auspicious
• śubhe: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying salile)

Speaker

Sūta (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moonlit Kārtika night: pilgrims at a sacred waterbody, the moon in Kṛttikā, devotees performing Bhīṣma-vrata austerities and entering the water with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• Kārtika (month)
• Kṛttikā (nakṣatra)
• Bhīṣma-vrata
• Brahmakuṇḍa (implied locus)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right timing (Kārtika, Kṛttikā) and disciplined observance (vrata) amplify the sanctifying power of tīrtha-bathing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmakuṇḍa (the ‘here’ of the passage), introduced as a pure and auspicious bathing site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Bhīṣma-vrata properly and bathe (snāna) in the auspicious waters during Kārtika when the moon is in Kṛttikā.