Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

अष्टम्यां वा चतुर्दश्यां सर्वकालं नरेश्वर । विशेषाच्चाश्विने मासि कृष्णपक्षे चतुर्दशीम्

Transliteration

aṣṭamyāṃ vā caturdaśyāṃ sarvakālaṃ nareśvara | viśeṣāccāśvine māsi kṛṣṇapakṣe caturdaśīm

Translation

Au huitième tithi ou au quatorzième—en tout temps, ô roi—mais tout particulièrement au quatorzième jour de la quinzaine sombre du mois d’Āśvina.

Word by Word

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (lunar day)
• अष्टम्याम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (tithi)

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

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (lunar day)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (tithi)

• सर्वकालम्: at all times
• सर्वकालम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय (सर्वः कालः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular used adverbially

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• नरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (नराणाम् ईश्वरः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• विशेषात्: especially
• विशेषात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular used adverbially

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय; conjunction

• आश्विने: in (the month) Āśvina
• आश्विने: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आश्विन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular qualifying मासि

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• कृष्णपक्षे: in the dark fortnight
• कृष्णपक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण-पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (कृष्णः पक्षः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• चतुर्दशीम्: the fourteenth (day)
• चतुर्दशीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (tithi as object of implied observance)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Āśvina kṛṣṇa-caturdaśī emphasis)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nareśvara (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night-leaning twilight on Āśvina kṛṣṇa-caturdaśī: pilgrims at the Revā ghat with lamps, preparing offerings; a calendar motif (moon phase) subtly indicates Aṣṭamī and Caturdaśī.

Characters & Entities

• Āśvina māsa
• Kṛṣṇa pakṣa
• Aṣṭamī
• Caturdaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes sacred timing (tithi and month) to intensify the fruit of devotion and tīrtha worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha context continues; the timing guidance applies to worship performed at/for that sanctified setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A recommended schedule: worship on Aṣṭamī or Caturdaśī, with special emphasis on Āśvina kṛṣṇa-caturdaśī.