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

آषاڑھ کے شُکل پکش کی ایکادشی کو میں گھر میں نِیَم و ورت اختیار کروں گا—نارائن کی خوشنودی کے لیے اور اپنی اعلیٰ بھلائی کے لیے بھی۔ یوں مُنی نے، ادب سے گردن جھکائے ہوئے عاجز کو، دھرم کی تعلیمات کے ساتھ جواب دیا۔

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.