Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

चतुर्दश्यां शुचिः स्नात्वा दन्तधावनपूर्वकम् । चरितब्रह्मचर्य्यश्च जितवाक्कायमानसः । पौर्णमास्यां तथा कृत्वा चंद्रपूजां च कारयेत्

Transliteration

caturdaśyāṃ śuciḥ snātvā dantadhāvanapūrvakam | caritabrahmacaryyaśca jitavākkāyamānasaḥ | paurṇamāsyāṃ tathā kṛtvā caṃdrapūjāṃ ca kārayet

Translation

On the fourteenth lunar day, being purified, one should bathe—preceded by cleaning the teeth—observing brahmacarya and mastering speech, body, and mind. Then, on the full-moon day as well, having done likewise, one should arrange the worship of the Moon (Candra-pūjā).

Word by Word

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time-locative/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

• शुचिः: pure/clean
• शुचिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); 'having bathed'

• दन्त-धावन-पूर्वकम्: with tooth-cleaning beforehand
• दन्त-धावन-पूर्वकम्: Adverbial (Kriya-visheshana/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + धावन (कृदन्त/भाव, धाव् धातु) + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण; 'with tooth-cleaning as the preliminary'

• चरित-ब्रह्मचर्यः: having observed celibacy
• चरित-ब्रह्मचर्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चरित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, चर् धातु) + ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'one who has practiced brahmacarya'

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

• जित-वाक्-काय-मानसः: having conquered speech, body, and mind
• जित-वाक्-काय-मानसः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, जि धातु) + वाक् (प्रातिपदिक) + काय (प्रातिपदिक) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (जितानि वाक्कायमानांसि यस्य); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'self-controlled in speech, body, and mind'

• पौर्णमास्याम्: on the full-moon day
• पौर्णमास्याम्: Adhikarana (Time-locative/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर्णमासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

• तथा: likewise/then
• तथा: Adverbial (Kriya-visheshana/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/अनुरूपार्थक (thus/likewise)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); 'having done'

• चन्द्र-पूजाम्: worship of the Moon
• चन्द्र-पूजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

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

• कारयेत्: should have (it) performed / should arrange
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) (णिच् causative: कारय)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative) 'should cause to be done/should perform (by arranging)'

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa discourse style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (Sarayū snāna implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vrata-seeking devotee/audience within Ayodhyā-māhātmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs dawn bathing and dental cleansing on caturdaśī, maintaining celibacy and self-control; on pūrṇimā, a moon-worship arrangement is prepared.

Characters & Entities

• Candra (Moon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual worship bears fruit when grounded in purity, discipline, and mastery over speech, body, and mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practice is taught within Ayodhyā Māhātmya, situating Moon-worship within Ayodhyā’s sacred framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe with cleanliness on caturdaśī, keep brahmacarya and self-restraint, and perform/arrange candra-pūjā again on paurṇamāsī.