Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 122

Devanagari script

वैशाखस्य तृतीया या शुक्ला त्रेतादिरुच्यते । माघे पञ्चदशीनाम द्वापरादिः स्मृता बुधैः

Transliteration

vaiśākhasya tṛtīyā yā śuklā tretādirucyate | māghe pañcadaśīnāma dvāparādiḥ smṛtā budhaiḥ

Translation

Der helle dritte Tithi des Monats Vaiśākha heißt der Beginn des Tretā-Yuga; und die Weisen gedenken des Vollmondtages im Monat Māgha als Beginn des Dvāpara-Yuga.

Word by Word

• vaiśākhasya: of Vaiśākha (month)
• vaiśākhasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśākha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; मासवाचक

• tṛtīyā: the third lunar day
• tṛtīyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛtīyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

• yā: which
• yā: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• śuklā: in the bright fortnight
• śuklā: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śukla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; शुक्लपक्षसम्बद्धा

• tretā-ādiḥ: Tretā (yuga) etc.
• tretā-ādiḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tretā (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘त्रेता आदिः यस्य’ (having Tretā as the first; i.e., Tretā-yuga etc.)

• ucyate: is said/called
• ucyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• māghe: in Māgha (month)
• māghe: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; मासवाचक

• pañcadaśīnām: of the fifteenth (tithi)
• pañcadaśīnām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañcadaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; तिथिवाचक—‘पञ्चदशी’ (fifteenth lunar day)

• dvāpara-ādiḥ: Dvāpara (yuga) etc.
• dvāpara-ādiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvāpara (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘द्वापरः आदिः यस्य’ (having Dvāpara as the first; i.e., Dvāpara-yuga etc.)

• smṛtā: is regarded/remembered
• smṛtā: Kriya (Predicative/क्रियार्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛta (प्रातिपदिक; √smṛ-स्मृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) used predicatively—‘is remembered/considered’

• budhaiḥ: by the wise
• budhaiḥ: Karaṇa/Agent in passive (Instrumental agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: budha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘बुध’ = wise person

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yugādi markers: Vaiśākha-śukla-tṛtīyā (Tretāyugādi), Māgha-pūrṇimā (Dvāparayugādi)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two-panel calendrical vision: (1) Vaiśākha bright third—sunlit riverbank with devotees giving gifts and starting auspicious works; (2) Māgha full moon—moonlit snāna with lamps floating on water; above, a subtle yuga-wheel indicating Tretā and Dvāpara beginnings.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśākha
• Tretā Yuga
• Māgha
• Dvāpara Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas map cosmic epochs onto sacred calendar days, making specific tithis especially auspicious for merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the glorification is of auspicious tithis (Vaiśākha śukla tṛtīyā; Māgha paurṇimā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of these tithis as Yugādi times; traditional practice emphasizes charity, worship, and offerings on such days.