Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

तेषामप्यक्षया लोकाश्चातुर्मास्येऽधिकं फलम् । एकादश्या धूपदानं कर्तव्यं यतये हरौ

Transliteration

teṣāmapyakṣayā lokāścāturmāsye'dhikaṃ phalam | ekādaśyā dhūpadānaṃ kartavyaṃ yataye harau

Translation

அவர்களுக்கும் அடைந்த உலகங்கள் அழிவற்றவை; சாத்துர்மாஸ்யத்தில் பலன் மேலும் அதிகம். ஓ யதி! ஏகாதசியன்று ஹரிக்குத் தூபதானம் செய்ய வேண்டும்.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — genitive plural ‘of them’

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (particle ‘also/even’)

• अक्षयाः: imperishable
• अक्षयाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — nominative plural; qualifies ‘lokāḥ’

• लोकाः: worlds, realms
• लोकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — nominative plural

• चातुर्मास्ये: in the Cāturmāsya period
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — locative singular

• अधिकम्: greater, more
• अधिकम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — used adverbially ‘more/exceeding’; agrees with ‘phalam’ (acc./nom. sg.)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — nominative/accusative singular; ‘result’

• एकादश्या: on Ekadashi
• एकादश्या: Adhikarana (Time-locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — locative singular; ‘on Ekādaśī’

• धूपदानम्: offering of incense
• धूपदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — nominative/accusative singular; समास: धूप-दान (तत्पुरुष) ‘offering of incense’

• कर्तव्यम्: should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — gerundive (obligatory) ‘to be done’; impersonal obligation

• यतये: for the ascetic
• यतये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन — dative singular ‘for the ascetic’

• हरौ: in/unto Hari
• हरौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — locative singular; ‘in/unto Hari’ (as deity addressed)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: yati (ascetic)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic devotee offers fragrant incense before a Viṣṇu image on Ekādaśī; monsoon Cāturmāsya ambience, temple lamps dim, devotees in quiet restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Cāturmāsya
• Ekādaśī
• Hari

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even small devotional acts, when aligned with sacred times like Cāturmāsya and Ekādaśī, are believed to yield enduring spiritual results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as a vrata-and-dāna instruction within the tirtha-mahātmya setting; no single site is specified in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer dhūpa (incense) to Hari specifically on Ekādaśī, with heightened merit during Cāturmāsya.