Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

कार्त्तिकस्य सिते पक्ष एकादश्यां समाहितः । प्रातरुत्थाय विप्रेंद्र कर्तव्यं दंतधावनम्

Transliteration

kārttikasya site pakṣa ekādaśyāṃ samāhitaḥ | prātarutthāya vipreṃdra kartavyaṃ daṃtadhāvanam

Translation

Trong nửa tháng sáng của Kārttika, vào ngày Ekādaśī, với tâm chuyên nhất—dậy sớm ban mai, hỡi bậc tối thắng trong hàng Bà-la-môn—hãy làm nghi thức tẩy sạch răng miệng.

Word by Word

• kārttikasya: of Kārttika (month)
• kārttikasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārttika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Genitive singular)

• site: in the bright (white)
• site: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Locative singular); pakṣe इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• pakṣe: fortnight
• pakṣe: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Locative singular)

• ekādaśyām: on the eleventh lunar day
• ekādaśyām: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekādaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Locative singular)

• samāhitaḥ: composed; attentive
• samāhitaḥ: Karta (Implied doer state/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-dhā (धातु) + ta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular); कर्तरि (composed/collected)

• prātaḥ: in the morning
• prātaḥ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prātaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (time adverb)

• utthāya: having risen
• utthāya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-sthā (धातु) + lyap (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (absolutive/gerund), उत्थाय (having risen)

• viprendra: O best of Brahmins
• viprendra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra-indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, संबोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Vocative singular)

• kartavyam: should be done
• kartavyam: Kriya (Obligation predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + tavya (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (to be done)

• dantadhāvanam: tooth-cleaning
• dantadhāvanam: Karma (That to be done/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: danta-dhāvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nom/Acc singular)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprendra/dvija audience (addressed as ‘best of brāhmaṇas’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pre-dawn in Kārttika: a devotee rises, sits calmly, performs dantadhāvana and morning purification, preparing for Ekādaśī vrata; lamps still glow in the dim light.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika
• Ekādaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer purity supports inner focus; beginning a holy observance with disciplined morning conduct strengthens devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; the emphasis is on Kārttika Ekādaśī observance within the chapter’s sacred framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

On Kārttika bright-half Ekādaśī, rise early, remain mentally composed, and perform danta-dhāvanam as part of vrata discipline.