Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

मृतप्रायस्ततो नित्यं तद्भारेण प्रपीडितः । कार्तिकस्य सिते पक्ष एकादश्या दिने स्थिते

Transliteration

mṛtaprāyastato nityaṃ tadbhāreṇa prapīḍitaḥ | kārtikasya site pakṣa ekādaśyā dine sthite

Translation

Sau đó, bị sức nặng ấy nghiền ép không ngừng, chàng nằm như kẻ gần chết—cho đến khi ngày Ekādaśī của nửa tháng sáng trong tháng Kārttika đến.

Word by Word

• mṛta-prāyaḥ: almost dead
• mṛta-prāyaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + prāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (almost-dead)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (then)

• nityam: constantly
• nityam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे द्वितीया/क्रियाविशेषणवत्; नित्यं (adverbial accusative)

• tad-bhāreṇa: by that burden
• tad-bhāreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + bhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• prapīḍitaḥ: oppressed
• prapīḍitaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + pīḍ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kārtikasya: of Kārtika (month)
• kārtikasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• site: in the bright (fortnight)
• site: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• pakṣe: in the fortnight
• pakṣe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• ekādaśyāḥ: of the eleventh (tithi)
• ekādaśyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekādaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• dine: on the day
• dine: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• sthite: when (it) is/was occurring
• sthite: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘स्थिते (सति)’ लोकेटिव्-अब्सोल्यूट् (locative absolute)

Speaker

Sūta (narrative voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cursed figure, bent under an unseen weight, lies nearly lifeless as the bright Kārttika moon rises; devotees count days toward Ekādaśī, lamps and tulasī sprigs prepared for Viṣṇu’s awakening rites.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika
• Ekādaśī
• Vṛka (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic calendar sacralizes time itself; the narrative marks the span from Āṣāḍha to Kārttika as a spiritually charged interval.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra remains the implied setting for the temporal marker of Kārttika Ekādaśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse points to Kārttika-śukla Ekādaśī as a pivotal ritual day (connected with the Lord’s awakening/utthāna in the wider tradition).