Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

शुकसारणयोस्तत्र प्राप्तिरेकादशीदिने । पौषासिते च द्वादश्यां सैन्यसंख्यानमेव च

Transliteration

śukasāraṇayostatra prāptirekādaśīdine | pauṣāsite ca dvādaśyāṃ sainyasaṃkhyānameva ca

Translation

അവിടെ ഏകാദശി ദിനത്തിൽ ശുകനും സാരണനും എത്തി. പൗഷമാസ കൃഷ്ണപക്ഷ ദ്വാദശിയിൽ സൈന്യസംഖ്യയും എണ്ണിക്കണക്കാക്കി.

Word by Word

• शुकसारणयोः: of Śuka and Sāraṇa
• शुकसारणयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक-सारण (प्रातिपदिक; द्वन्द्व/समाहार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (शुकः च सारणः च)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• प्राप्तिः: arrival
• प्राप्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक; प्राप्ति < प्र-√आप् (धातु) + क्तिन्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• एकादशीदिने: on the day of Ekādaśī
• एकादशीदिने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकादशी-दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (एकादश्याः दिनम्)

• पौषासिते: in the dark fortnight of Pauṣa
• पौषासिते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौष-असित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (पौषे मासि असिते पक्षे)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• द्वादश्याम्: on the twelfth (tithi)
• द्वादश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (तिथिवाचक)

• सैन्यसंख्यानम्: counting/enumeration of the army
• सैन्यसंख्यानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य-संख्यान (प्रातिपदिक; संख्यान < सम्-√ख्या (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (सैन्यस्य संख्यानम्)

• एव: indeed / just
• एव: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Laṅkā-niveśa-sthala (camp council ground)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience in frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On Ekādaśī, Śuka and Sāraṇa arrive at Rāma’s camp; on Pauṣa dark-fortnight Dvādaśī, the army is counted—scribes, leaders, and orderly ranks.

Characters & Entities

• Śuka
• Sāraṇa
• Pauṣa (month)
• Ekādaśī
• Dvādaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma values clarity and order—proper accounting and timely intelligence support righteous action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is a narrative time-stamp within the Laṅkā episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; Ekādaśī/Dvādaśī are mentioned as dates, not as a vrata instruction in this snippet.