Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

वृद्धो विश्वस्य विश्वाख्यो वासुदेवस्ततः स्मृतः । कार्तिके शुक्लपक्षे या भवत्ये कादशी शुभा

Transliteration

vṛddho viśvasya viśvākhyo vāsudevastataḥ smṛtaḥ | kārtike śuklapakṣe yā bhavatye kādaśī śubhā

Translation

അവൻ ‘വാസുദേവൻ’ എന്നു സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു—വിശ്വത്തിന്റെ പുരാതനൻ, ലോകമൊട്ടാകെ പ്രസിദ്ധൻ. കാർത്തിക ശുക്ലപക്ഷത്തിൽ വരുന്ന ആ ശുഭ ഏകാദശി അതിവിശേഷ പുണ്യമയമാണ്।

Word by Word

• वृद्धः: aged/elder
• वृद्धः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• विश्वस्य: of the universe
• विश्वस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• विश्वाख्यः: named ‘Viśva’/world-renowned
• विश्वाख्यः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय-भाव: ‘विश्व इति आख्या यस्य’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• वासुदेवः: Vāsudeva
• वासुदेवः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: therefore/then
• ततः: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/अनुक्रम (therefore/then/from that)

• स्मृतः: is remembered/called
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is remembered/called’

• कार्तिके: in Kārtika
• कार्तिके: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मासवाचक (in the month of Kārtika)

• शुक्लपक्षे: in the bright fortnight
• शुक्लपक्षे: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय: ‘शुक्लः पक्षः’); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (which)

• भवति: occurs/is
• भवति: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एकादशी: the eleventh lunar day (Ekādaśī)
• एकादशी: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘एकादशी’)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāsudeva depicted as the ancient, all-renowned Lord; a Kārttika bright-fortnight Ekādaśī night with lamps, devotees fasting, and a sanctum glowing with dīpas.

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva
• Kārttika
• Ekādaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kārttika bright-fortnight Ekādaśī is proclaimed uniquely auspicious because it is connected to Vāsudeva, the all-renowned Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; the emphasis is on the sacred time (Kārttika Ekādaśī) as a ‘temple in time’.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse identifies the auspicious Ekādaśī timing; detailed rites follow in subsequent verses.