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

कार्तिक मास की शुक्ल पक्ष की जो शुभ एकादशी होती है, उस दिन मेरा पूजन करके मनुष्य कलियुग के दोषों से मुक्त हो जाता है।

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.