Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 199

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । फाल्गुनस्य सिते पक्ष एकादश्यामुपोषितः । स्नात्वा नद्यां तडागे वा वाप्यां कूपे गृहेऽपि वा

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | phālgunasya site pakṣa ekādaśyāmupoṣitaḥ | snātvā nadyāṃ taḍāge vā vāpyāṃ kūpe gṛhe'pi vā

Translation

നാരദൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഫാൽഗുണ ശുക്ലപക്ഷ ഏകാദശിയിൽ ഉപവസിച്ച്, നദിയിലോ കുളത്തിലോ തടാകത്തിലോ കിണറ്റിലോ അല്ലെങ്കിൽ വീട്ടിലായാലും സ്നാനം ചെയ്യണം…

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• फाल्गुनस्य: of (the month) Phālguna
• फाल्गुनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फाल्गुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सिते: in the bright (half)
• सिते: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (to पक्षे)

• पक्षे: fortnight
• पक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• उपोषितः: having fasted
• उपोषितः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + वस् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → उपोषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक (past participle), कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘having fasted’

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• नद्याम्: in a river
• नद्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तडागे: in a pond
• तडागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तडाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle ‘or’)

• वाप्याम्: in a reservoir/tank
• वाप्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कूपे: in a well
• कूपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: ‘also/even’)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Phālguna-śukla Ekādaśī (Vaiṣṇava vrata)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bali

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn on Ekādaśī, a devotee performs snāna: one scene shows river bathing, another pond/tank, another drawing water from a well, and another bathing at home with a kalaśa—underscoring inclusivity; Nārada instructs with raised hand.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Phālguna
• Śukla Pakṣa
• Ekādaśī
• snāna
• upoṣa (fasting)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincerity in vrata matters: even if one cannot reach a great river, one may still perform purificatory bathing with devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The observance is timed to Phālguna Śukla Ekādaśī; the chapter’s broader context points toward Raivataka and its sacred tree-site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upoṣa (fasting) on Ekādaśī and snāna (bathing) in any available water source, even at home.