Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

ताड्यते तत्पुरे प्रातः कार्यमेकादशीव्रतम् । यज्वना तेन भूपेन विच्छिन्नं सोमपायिनाम्

Transliteration

tāḍyate tatpure prātaḥ kāryamekādaśīvratam | yajvanā tena bhūpena vicchinnaṃ somapāyinām

Translation

In jener Stadt wurde bei Tagesanbruch die Trommel geschlagen: „Das Ekādaśī-Gelübde ist zu halten.“ Durch jenen König, einen Opfernden, wurde die Praxis der Soma-Trinker eingeschränkt (unterbrochen).

Word by Word

• ताड्यते: is beaten/struck (is sounded)
• ताड्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ताड् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), आत्मनेपद

• तत्पुरे: in that city
• तत्पुरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तस्य पुरे (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• प्रातः: in the morning
• प्रातः: Avyaya (अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of time)

• कार्यम्: to be done, obligatory
• कार्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ-धातोः कृत्य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), अर्थः—'to be done'

• एकादशीव्रतम्: the Ekādaśī vow/fast
• एकादशीव्रतम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकादशी + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—एकादश्याः व्रतम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• यज्वना: by the sacrificer
• यज्वना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• तेन: by him/with that
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भूपेन: by the king
• भूपेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• विच्छिन्नम्: cut off, interrupted, stopped
• विच्छिन्नम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + छिद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि-क्त (past passive participle)

• सोमपायिनाम्: of the Soma-drinkers
• सोमपायिनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम + पायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—सोमं पिबन्ति ये (उपपद-तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kuru lineage listener implied by later address

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn, a herald beats a drum in the streets proclaiming Ekādaśī observance; sacrificial priests and soma-drinkers pause their routine; townspeople prepare for fasting and worship.

Characters & Entities

• Indradyumna
• Ekādaśī-vrata
• Soma-pāyinaḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vows like Ekādaśī are treated as powerful dharmic disciplines, sometimes prioritized even over customary ritual enjoyments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The king’s city is referenced as the setting; the verse focuses on vrata-dharma rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observation of Ekādaśī-vrata (fasting/vow) publicly announced at dawn.