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

此后，他被那重负日日压迫，几如将死；直到迦尔蒂迦月（Kārttika）明半月的十一日——埃卡达希（Ekādaśī）到来。

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).