Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

कलौ न दृश्या भवति प्रधानं यद्गयाशिरः । वैशाखे मासि सम्प्राप्तेऽमावास्यां नृपोत्तम

Transliteration

kalau na dṛśyā bhavati pradhānaṃ yadgayāśiraḥ | vaiśākhe māsi samprāpte'māvāsyāṃ nṛpottama

Translation

O bester der Könige, im Kali-Zeitalter ist jenes erhabenste Zeichen namens Gayāśiras gewöhnlich nicht zu sehen; doch wenn im Monat Vaiśākha der Amāvasyā-Tag, der Neumond, eintritt, wird es offenbar.

Word by Word

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; 'कलौ (युगे)'

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation)

• दृश्या: visible
• दृश्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; 'दृश्य' = visible (agreeing with implied/understood स्त्रीलिङ्ग subject, e.g., शिला/गया-शिरः-सम्बद्धा)

• भवति: is/becomes
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• प्रधानम्: principal, foremost
• प्रधानम्: Karma/Predicative (Complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• गयाशिरः: Gayā-śiras (the head/peak of Gayā)
• गयाशिरः: Apposition/Viśeṣya (Core noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—'गयायाः शिरः' (the head/peak of Gayā)

• वैशाखे: in (the month of) Vaiśākha
• वैशाखे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशाख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; मास-नाम

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सम्प्राप्ते: when (it has) arrived
• सम्प्राप्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• अमावास्याम्: on the new-moon day
• अमावास्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• नृपोत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—'उत्तमो नृपः'

Speaker

Tīrtha-māhātmya narrator (contextual; likely a sage addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayāśiras (manifesting at the Revā-tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpottama (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A normally hidden sacred sign called Gayāśiras suddenly becomes visible on the dark-moon night of Vaiśākha; pilgrims and priests gather with lamps, preparing for ancestral rites.

Characters & Entities

• Kali-yuga
• Vaiśākha
• Amāvāsyā
• Gayāśiras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain tīrthas reveal their special potency at specific sacred times; aligning rites with Vaiśākha Amāvāsyā intensifies merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayāśiras—presented as a foremost sacred mark/tīrtha associated with the Revā (Narmadā) region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Timing guidance: the new-moon day (Amāvāsyā) in Vaiśākha is highlighted as the key occasion when the site becomes manifest for observance.