Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

अष्टभ्यां च सिते पक्षे असितां वा चतुर्दशीम् । पूजयित्वा महादेवं प्रीणयेद्गीतवाद्यकैः

Transliteration

aṣṭabhyāṃ ca site pakṣe asitāṃ vā caturdaśīm | pūjayitvā mahādevaṃ prīṇayedgītavādyakaiḥ

Translation

Am achten Tag der hellen Monatshälfte oder am vierzehnten Tag der dunklen Monatshälfte soll man, nachdem man Mahādeva verehrt hat, Ihn durch Gesang und Instrumentalmusik erfreuen.

Word by Word

• अष्टभ्याम्: with eight (days)
• अष्टभ्याम्: Karana (Measure/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन (instrumental plural; ‘by/with eight’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (and)

• सिते: in the bright (fortnight)
• सिते: Adhikarana (Time-context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular), पक्षे इति विशेषण (qualifying)

• पक्षे: in the fortnight
• पक्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular)

• असिताम्: dark (fortnight’s)
• असिताम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (accusative singular), चतुर्दशीम् इति विशेषण (qualifying)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्पार्थक (or)

• चतुर्दशीम्: the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दशीम्: Karman (Object—time observed/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक; चतुर् + दश)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (accusative singular; lunar day)

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (having worshipped)

• महादेवम्: Mahādeva
• महादेवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक; महा + देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• प्रीणयेत्: should please/satisfy
• प्रीणयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त causative (प्रीणय), विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• गीतवाद्यकैः: with songs and musical instruments
• गीतवाद्यकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत + वाद्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन (instrumental plural; means)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic speaker within Revā Khaṇḍa; traditionally Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relaying the māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Evening worship at a Śiva temple: after pūjā, devotees sing while playing vīṇā, mṛdaṅga, and cymbals; lamps glow, and the liṅga is adorned with flowers.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Mahādeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti expressed through timely observance (tithi) and devotional arts (song and music) is upheld as a pleasing offering to Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred setting (Revā/Narmadā region), though no single tirtha-name appears in the verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship of Mahādeva on aṣṭamī (bright fortnight) or caturdaśī (dark fortnight), accompanied by gīta and vādyas.