Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

कार्तिकस्य तु या शुक्ला भवत्येकादशी शुभा । तस्यां मदर्चनं कृत्वा कलिदोषैर्विमुच्यते

Transliteration

kārtikasya tu yā śuklā bhavatyekādaśī śubhā | tasyāṃ madarcanaṃ kṛtvā kalidoṣairvimucyate

Translation

An der glückverheißenden hellen Ekādaśī des Monats Kārtika wird, wer mich verehrt, von den Makeln des Kali-Zeitalters befreit.

Word by Word

• कार्तिकस्य: of Kārtika (month)
• कार्तिकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तु: but / indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• शुक्ला: bright (fortnight)
• शुक्ला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भवति: is / occurs
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एकादशी: the eleventh lunar day (Ekādaśī)
• एकादशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्याम्: on that (day)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मत्: my
• मत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-सम्बन्धार्थे (genitive sense) अव्ययवत्-पूर्वपद; ‘मम’ अर्थे

• अर्चनम्: worship
• अर्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having done’

• कलिदोषैः: from the faults of Kali (age)
• कलिदोषैः: Apadana (Separation/अपा दान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि + दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; (कलौ दोषाः)

• विमुच्यते: is freed / is released
• विमुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Nārada (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Arjuna (Pārtha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kārtika śukla Ekādaśī worship scene: devotees perform arcana before the revered manifestation; lamps blaze, tulasī/flowers are offered, and a sense of cleansing light dispels Kali’s darkness.

Characters & Entities

• Kārtika
• Śukla Ekādaśī
• Kali (Kali-yuga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time observances (Ekādaśī in Kārtika) amplify merit and function as purificatory remedies for Kali-yuga decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The emphasis is on sacred time (Kārtika Śukla Ekādaśī) rather than a named tirtha in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform ‘mad-arcana’—worship of the speaking deity (Nārada’s manifestation)—specifically on Kārtika bright-fortnight Ekādaśī.