Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37
यथा शुक्ला तथा कृष्णा न विशेषोऽस्ति कश्चन । तथापि वर्धते धर्मः शुक्लायामेव सर्वदा
yathā śuklā tathā kṛṣṇā na viśeṣo'sti kaścana | tathāpi vardhate dharmaḥ śuklāyāmeva sarvadā
كما أن النصف المضيء من الشهر، كذلك النصف المظلم—لا فرق بينهما ألبتة؛ ومع ذلك فإن الدَّرما تزداد دائمًا، وبوجهٍ أخصّ في النصف المضيء.
Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya instructional style)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: Two mirrored panels: śukla-pakṣa with waxing moon and bright temple lamps; kṛṣṇa-pakṣa with waning moon and subdued lamps—both showing pilgrims, but the śukla side subtly more radiant, indicating ‘dharma-vardhana’.
FAQs
Though both fortnights are sacred, the Purāṇic emphasis here is that merit-bearing observances flourish especially in the bright fortnight.
The broader context is Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya), where correct observance of dharma is praised as part of the site’s greatness.
A kāla-principle: dharma is said to ‘increase’ in śukla-pakṣa, guiding preferred timing for vows and rites.