Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

मार्गशीर्षस्य मासस्य कृष्णपक्षे च याष्टमी । सोपवासः शुचिर्भूत्वा लिङ्गं सम्पूरयेत्तिलैः । यथाविभवसारेण गन्धपुष्पैः समर्चयेत्

Transliteration

mārgaśīrṣasya māsasya kṛṣṇapakṣe ca yāṣṭamī | sopavāsaḥ śucirbhūtvā liṅgaṃ sampūrayettilaiḥ | yathāvibhavasāreṇa gandhapuṣpaiḥ samarcayet

Translation

Am achten Mondtag der dunklen Monatshälfte des Monats Mārgaśīrṣa soll man, nachdem man gefastet und sich gereinigt hat, den Śiva-Liṅga mit Sesamkörnern füllen (darbringen) und ihn nach Vermögen mit Düften und Blumen ehrfürchtig verehren.

Word by Word

• मार्गशीर्षस्य: of Mārgaśīrṣa (month-name)
• मार्गशीर्षस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गशीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• मासस्य: of the month
• मासस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कृष्णपक्षे: in the dark fortnight
• कृष्णपक्षे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णपक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—कृष्णः पक्षः इति (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• या: which
• या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (अष्टमी-तिथेः)

• अष्टमी: the eighth lunar day (Aṣṭamī)
• अष्टमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सोपवासः: with fasting / observing a fast
• सोपवासः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—उपवासेन सह (सह-तत्पुरुष)

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (कर्तुः)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having become’

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सम्पूरयेत्: should fill/complete
• सम्पूरयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+पूर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तिलैः: with sesame seeds
• तिलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• यथा: according to
• यथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘according to/as’)

• विभव: means/wealth
• विभव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-पूर्वपद-भाव (in compound)

• सारेण: in proportion/measure
• सारेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘सार’ = measure/essence; here: ‘in proportion’

• यथाविभवसारेण: according to one’s means
• यथाविभवसारेण: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + विभव (प्रातिपदिक) + सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; समस्तपदम् अव्ययवत्—‘यथाविभवसारेण’ = यथाविभवम्/यथाशक्ति (according to one’s capacity)

• गन्धपुष्पैः: with fragrances and flowers
• गन्धपुष्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• समर्चयेत्: should worship
• समर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Narmadā-associated Śiva-liṅga worship)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nareśvara (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fasting devotee, bathed and pure, stands before a black stone Śiva-liṅga, pouring sesame seeds in a steady stream, then offering fragrant paste and fresh flowers in orderly upacāras.

Characters & Entities

• Mārgaśīrṣa
• Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa Aṣṭamī
• Śiva-liṅga
• Tilā (sesame)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through purity, restraint (fasting), and sincere worship according to capacity is upheld as powerful dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the ongoing Sarpa-tīrtha māhātmya, the verse gives a time-bound Śaiva observance connected to the tīrtha’s merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observe a fast on Mārgaśīrṣa kṛṣṇapakṣa aṣṭamī; maintain śauca (purity); offer sesame to the Śiva-liṅga; worship with fragrance and flowers as per one’s means.