Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

श्रावणस्याष्टमी कृष्णा तथाऽषाढी व पूर्णिमा । तथा कार्तिकमासस्य या चान्या फाल्गुनस्य च

Transliteration

śrāvaṇasyāṣṭamī kṛṣṇā tathā'ṣāḍhī va pūrṇimā | tathā kārtikamāsasya yā cānyā phālgunasya ca

Translation

Der achte Tag der dunklen Monatshälfte im Śrāvaṇa, der Vollmond im Āṣāḍha, ebenso der Vollmond im Kārtika—und auch der im Phālguna—werden für Ahnenbeobachtungen gepriesen.

Word by Word

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

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

• कृष्णा: dark-fortnight (kṛṣṇa-pakṣa)
• कृष्णा: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• तथा: likewise, also
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—समुच्चय/अनुक्रमसूचक (also/likewise)

• आषाढी: (the tithi) in Āṣāḍha
• आषाढी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आषाढी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or)

• पूर्णिमा: full-moon day (Pūrṇimā)
• पूर्णिमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्णिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक (likewise)

• कार्तिकमासस्य: of the month of Kārtika
• कार्तिकमासस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक-मास (प्रातिपदिक); घटकौ—कार्तिक + मास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• या: which (f.)
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• अन्या: another, other
• अन्या: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• फाल्गुनस्य: of (the month) Phālguna
• फाल्गुनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फाल्गुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Full-moon night over a tīrtha: devotees offer tarpaṇa at the water’s edge; the moon reflects on the surface while priests chant; a separate vignette shows kṛṣṇa-aṣṭamī austerity.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain lunar moments—especially pūrṇimā and select tithis—are portrayed as naturally supportive for Pitṛ satisfaction and dharmic merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of a tīrtha-centered discourse but here emphasizes month-and-tithi sanctity rather than a single named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observing Pitṛ rites on Śrāvaṇa kṛṣṇa aṣṭamī and on specific full-moon days (Āṣāḍha, Kārtika, Phālguna).