Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

पुरे स्थितं विवाहस्य देव कालः प्रवर्तते । ततस्तस्य जटाजूटे चंद्रखंडं पितामहः

Transliteration

pure sthitaṃ vivāhasya deva kālaḥ pravartate | tatastasya jaṭājūṭe caṃdrakhaṃḍaṃ pitāmahaḥ

Translation

„In der Stadt hat nun die göttliche Zeit der Vermählung begonnen.“ Dann setzte Großvater Brahmā ein Stück der Mondsichel auf Sein verfilztes Jatā-Haar.

Word by Word

• पुरे: in the city
• पुरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्

• स्थितम्: fixed, stationed
• स्थितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः, नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; (agreeing with kālaḥ as ‘fixed/appointed’)

• विवाहस्य: of the wedding
• विवाहस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• कालः: time
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• प्रवर्तते: proceeds, begins
• प्रवर्तते: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रम/कालवाचक (then)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्

• जटाजूटे: in the matted hair (topknot)
• जटाजूटे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जटा + जूट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; (hair-matted-locks)

• चन्द्रखण्डम्: a piece of the moon (crescent)
• चन्द्रखण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र + खण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• पितामहः: the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), with embedded speech attributed to Brahmā (Vidhi/Pitāmaha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā announces the wedding time; then he reverently places a crescent-moon fragment upon Śiva’s matted locks, transforming Him into Candrasekhara in festive readiness.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Pitāmaha/Vidhi)
• Śiva (implied by jaṭājūṭa and wedding context)
• Candra (moon, via candrakhaṇḍa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma operates through auspicious timing (kāla), and divine symbolism (moon on Śiva’s locks) marks sacred rites as cosmically sanctioned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A ‘city’ is mentioned without naming; the emphasis is on the wedding’s auspicious commencement rather than a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The notion of proper kāla (auspicious time) for vivāha is implied, aligning with dharmic observance of muhūrta.