Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

आषाढे शुक्ल पक्षस्य एकादश्यां द्विजोत्तम । तस्य सांवत्सरी यात्रा कर्तव्या तु विधानतः

Transliteration

āṣāḍhe śukla pakṣasya ekādaśyāṃ dvijottama | tasya sāṃvatsarī yātrā kartavyā tu vidhānataḥ

Translation

Ô le meilleur des deux-fois-nés, à l’Ekādaśī de la quinzaine claire d’Āṣāḍha, il convient d’accomplir, selon le rite prescrit, ce pèlerinage annuel.

Word by Word

• आषाढे: in (the month of) Āṣāḍha
• आषाढे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आषाढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• शुक्ल: bright (waxing)
• शुक्ल: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; विशेषण (पक्षस्य)

• पक्षस्य: of the fortnight
• पक्षस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• एकादश्याम्: on the eleventh (tithi)
• एकादश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative/Address), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानाम् उत्तमः)

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सांवत्सरी: annual
• सांवत्सरी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सांवत्सरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (यात्रा)

• यात्रा: pilgrimage/journey
• यात्रा: Karma (Object; with gerundive predicate/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• कर्तव्या: is to be done/should be performed
• कर्तव्या: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृ-धातोः तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Gerundive/Obligatory); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); अवधान/विरोधार्थक

• विधानतः: according to the prescribed rule
• विधानतः: Hetu/Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (Ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Ayodhyāmāhātmya discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā (sāṃvatsarī yātrā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijoत्तम (addressed brāhmaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of pilgrims entering Ayodhyā on bright-fortnight Ekādaśī of Āṣāḍha, carrying tulasī, flags, and water pots; priests announce the tithi while devotees keep vrata.

Characters & Entities

• Āṣāḍha
• Ekādaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (Ekādaśī) should be honored through disciplined, rule-based pilgrimage and observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā’s annual sacred circuit (yātrā) is being prescribed within the Ayodhyāmāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To perform the yearly yātrā on Āṣāḍha bright-half Ekādaśī strictly according to the prescribed vidhāna.