Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

पक्षान्तेऽथ व्यतीपाते वै धृतौ रविसंक्रमे । दिनक्षये गजच्छायां ग्रहणे भास्करस्य च

Transliteration

pakṣānte'tha vyatīpāte vai dhṛtau ravisaṃkrame | dinakṣaye gajacchāyāṃ grahaṇe bhāskarasya ca

Translation

À la fin d’une quinzaine, lors du yoga Vyatīpāta, du yoga Dhṛti, au passage du Soleil, à la clôture du jour, au temps nommé « l’ombre de l’éléphant », et aussi durant une éclipse solaire : ce sont des instants particulièrement puissants pour les actes sacrés au tīrtha.

Word by Word

• pakṣānte: at the end of the fortnight
• pakṣānte: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular; तत्पुरुष (pakṣasya antaḥ)

• atha: then/next
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (sequencing adverb/particle)

• vyatīpāte: at Vyatīpāta (an astronomical yoga)
• vyatīpāte: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyatīpāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• dhṛtau: at Dhṛti (a yoga)
• dhṛtau: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative, Singular (योगविशेषः)

• ravi-saṃkrame: at the Sun’s transit (saṅkrānti)
• ravi-saṃkrame: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ravi (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular; तत्पुरुष (raveḥ saṃkramaḥ)

• dina-kṣaye: at day’s end
• dina-kṣaye: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular; तत्पुरुष (dinasya kṣayaḥ)

• gaja-chāyām: the elephant’s shadow
• gaja-chāyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक) + chāyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुष (gajasya chāyā)

• grahaṇe: during an eclipse
• grahaṇe: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grahaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular

• bhāskarasya: of the Sun
• bhāskarasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāskara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

Speaker

Śaṅkara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A river confluence at twilight with pilgrims preparing for snāna; the sky shows an eclipse disc and zodiacal motifs; priests mark saṅkrānti with lamps and kalasha; a shadow motif suggests ‘gaja-chāyā’.

Characters & Entities

• Ravī (Sun)
• Vyatīpāta
• Dhṛti
• Saṅkrānti
• Grahaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography becomes even more fruitful when approached at spiritually charged times; timing intensifies tīrtha-merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa context points to the Revā (Narmadā) region and its saṅgama-tīrthas, where rites are praised as especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse lists auspicious occasions—saṅkrānti, vyatīpāta, dhṛti, twilight, and solar eclipse—implying these are recommended times for snāna, japa, and other tīrtha-observances.