Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

संक्रांतयस्तथाज्ञेयाः पवित्रा दानकर्मणि । तथाष्टमी प्रिया शंभोर्गणेशस्य चतुर्थिका

Transliteration

saṃkrāṃtayastathājñeyāḥ pavitrā dānakarmaṇi | tathāṣṭamī priyā śaṃbhorgaṇeśasya caturthikā

Translation

Auch die Saṅkrānti (Sonneneintritte) sind als reinigend für Werke der Gabe zu erkennen. Die Tithi Aṣṭamī ist Śambhu (Śiva) lieb, und die Tithi Caturthī ist Gaṇeśa lieb.

Word by Word

• संक्रान्तयः: saṅkrāntis (solar transitions)
• संक्रान्तयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्रान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Samuccaya/Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (likewise)

• ज्ञेयाः: to be known (as)
• ज्ञेयाः: Karta (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञेय (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थे भाव्य/तव्यत्-समर्थ ‘to be known’

• पवित्राः: pure, sacred
• पवित्राः: Karta (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (संक्रान्तयः)

• दानकर्मणि: in the act of giving (charity)
• दानकर्मणि: Adhikarana (Context/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘दानस्य कर्म’

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Samuccaya/Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (likewise)

• अष्टमी: the eighth lunar day (Aṣṭamī)
• अष्टमी: Karta (Subject/item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तिथिनाम

• प्रिया: dear
• प्रिया: Karta (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अष्टमी)

• शम्भोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भोः: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• गणेशस्य: of Gaṇeśa
• गणेशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• चतुर्थिका: the fourth lunar day (Caturthikā)
• चतुर्थिका: Karta (Subject/item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्थिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तिथिनाम

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ritual audience/pilgrims (dvijas implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim performs charity at a saṅkrānti moment (sun entering a new sign), while two devotional vignettes show Śiva pleased on Aṣṭamī and Gaṇeśa pleased on Caturthī.

Characters & Entities

• Saṅkrānti
• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Gaṇeśa
• Aṣṭamī
• Caturthī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time sanctifies action—charity and devotion become especially potent when aligned with divinely favoured days.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a general dharma-calendar teaching within Kedārakhaṇḍa, not a specific site-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform dāna on saṅkrānti; observe devotion to Śiva on Aṣṭamī and to Gaṇeśa on Caturthī.