Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

सर्वेषामपि मासानां पञ्चकात्कार्तिकादपि । एकादशी कार्तिकस्य पुण्या दामोदरे कृता

Transliteration

sarveṣāmapi māsānāṃ pañcakātkārtikādapi | ekādaśī kārtikasya puṇyā dāmodare kṛtā

Translation

Parmi tous les mois—et même au sein du Pañcaka de Kārtika—l’Ekādaśī de Kārtika, observée devant Dāmodara, est d’une sainteté toute particulière.

Word by Word

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) / नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) (contextual), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis (Nipāta function/निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (Particle), ‘also/even’

• māsānām: of months
• māsānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• pañcakāt: than the five-day set
• pañcakāt: Apādāna (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañcaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• kārtikāt: than (the month of) Kārtika
• kārtikāt: Apādāna (Ablative comparison/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis (Nipāta function/निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (Particle), ‘even/also’

• ekādaśī: Ekādaśī (11th lunar day)
• ekādaśī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekādaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• kārtikasya: of Kārtika
• kārtikasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• puṇyā: holy/meritorious
• puṇyā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• dāmodare: in/for Dāmodara (Viṣṇu)
• dāmodare: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāmodara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• kṛtā: was made/ordained
• kṛtā: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि-क्त (Past Passive Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); ‘made/ordained’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kārtika Ekādaśī (Dāmodara-Ekādaśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On Kārtika Ekādaśī, devotees offer lamps and tulasī to Dāmodara (Viṣṇu as the bound-bellied Lord), with a prominent full lamp-stand and a serene icon; the scene conveys ‘best among the best’ sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Kārtika
• Ekādaśī
• Dāmodara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Among sacred times, Ekādaśī stands out; when joined with a powerful tīrtha (Dāmodara), its merit is portrayed as unsurpassed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dāmodara-tīrtha (linked with Raivataka/Vastrāpathakṣetra) is explicitly highlighted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observe Kārtika Ekādaśī specifically at Dāmodara as a preeminent vrata practice.