Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

मासेन च मनुष्याणामहोरात्रं च पैतृकम् । कृष्णपक्षस्त्वहः प्रोक्तः शुक्लपक्षश्च शर्वरी

Transliteration

māsena ca manuṣyāṇāmahorātraṃ ca paitṛkam | kṛṣṇapakṣastvahaḥ proktaḥ śuklapakṣaśca śarvarī

Translation

Für die Menschen ist ein Monat ein einziger Tag und eine Nacht (ahorātra) für die Pitṛs, die Ahnenwesen. Die kṛṣṇa-pakṣa (dunkle Hälfte) gilt als ihr Tag, die śukla-pakṣa (helle Hälfte) als ihre Nacht.

Word by Word

• मासेन: by (a) month
• मासेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• मनुष्याणाम्: of humans
• मनुष्याणाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• अहोरात्रम्: a day-and-night (nycthemeron)
• अहोरात्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक) + रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (day and night as a unit)

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

• पैतृकम्: ancestral (of the Pitṛs)
• पैतृकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पैतृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘पितृसम्बन्धि’ (pertaining to the Pitṛs)

• कृष्ण-पक्षः: the dark fortnight
• कृष्ण-पक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (dark fortnight)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed)

• अहः: day
• अहः: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रोक्तः: is declared
• प्रोक्तः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (अस्ति इति अध्याहृतम्)

• शुक्ल-पक्षः: the bright fortnight
• शुक्ल-पक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (bright fortnight)

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

• शर्वरी: night
• शर्वरी: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A riverside ghāṭa at dusk: a householder offers tarpaṇa with water in cupped hands; above, a subtle overlay shows Pitṛs experiencing kṛṣṇa-pakṣa as ‘day’ and śukla-pakṣa as ‘night’ with moon waxing/waning.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human time is not absolute; Dharma includes honoring the Pitṛs by understanding their distinct cosmic rhythm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it teaches a cosmological framework often used to support śrāddha and pitṛ-tarpaṇa observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here, but the mapping underlies pitṛ-related rites (śrāddha/tarpaṇa) timed by pakṣa and lunar month.