Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

आषाढशुक्लैकादश्यां करिष्ये नियमं गृहे । नारायणस्य प्रीत्यर्थं श्रेयोऽर्थं चात्मनस्तथा । प्रत्युवाच मुनिर्धर्मान्विनयानतकन्धरम्

Transliteration

āṣāḍhaśuklaikādaśyāṃ kariṣye niyamaṃ gṛhe | nārāyaṇasya prītyarthaṃ śreyo'rthaṃ cātmanastathā | pratyuvāca munirdharmānvinayānatakandharam

Translation

ആഷാഢ ശുക്ല ഏകാദശിയിൽ ഞാൻ വീട്ടിൽ നിയമവ്രതം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കും—നാരായണന്റെ പ്രീതിക്കായും എന്റെ പരമ ശ്രേയസ്സിനായും. ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞ് മുനി വിനയത്തോടെ തലകുനിഞ്ഞവനോട് ധർമ്മോപദേശം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• āṣāḍha-śukla-ekādaśyām: on the Āṣāḍha bright-fortnight Ekādaśī
• āṣāḍha-śukla-ekādaśyām: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āṣāḍha (प्रातिपदिक) + śukla (प्रातिपदिक) + ekādaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (आषाढस्य शुक्लपक्षस्य एकादशी)

• kariṣye: I shall perform
• kariṣye: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• niyamam: a vow/observance
• niyamam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gṛhe: at home
• gṛhe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• nārāyaṇasya: of Nārāyaṇa
• nārāyaṇasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• prīti-artham: for (his) pleasure
• prīti-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prīti (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे प्रयुक्तं (प्रीत्यर्थम् = प्रीतये)

• śreyaḥ: welfare/benefit
• śreyaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• artham: for the sake (of)
• artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (śreyaḥ इत्यस्य अर्थे)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• ātmanaḥ: of myself
• ātmanaḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tathā: likewise/also
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (adverb: likewise)

• pratyuvāca: replied
• pratyuvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: प्रति + उद्

• muniḥ: the sage
• muniḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dharmān: (about) duties/dharmas
• dharmān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• vinaya-ānata-kandharam: him whose neck was bowed in humility
• vinaya-ānata-kandharam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vinaya (प्रातिपदिक) + ānata (प्रातिपदिक; √nam + ā, क्त) + kandhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (विनयेन आनतः कन्धरः यस्य) विशेषण (सम्बोधित/उद्दिष्टः)

Speaker

Muni (sage; contextually Gālava continuing the instruction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage, seated in a simple āśrama, speaks gently on dharma to a reverent listener with bowed neck; in the background, a household shrine of Nārāyaṇa is prepared for Ekādaśī and the start of Cāturmāsya.

Characters & Entities

• Āṣāḍha
• Ekādaśī
• Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Beginning a vow with humility and discipline, dedicating it to Nārāyaṇa, yields one’s highest good (śreyas).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse frames the vrata-timing (Āṣāḍha Ekādaśī) rather than naming a single tirtha; it belongs to the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking a niyama (rule-bound vow/discipline) at home on Āṣāḍha-śukla Ekādaśī for Nārāyaṇa’s pleasure.