Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

पूर्णिमायां महेंद्राद्रौ पुनरागमनं कपेः । मार्गशीर्षप्रतिपदः पंचभिः पथि वासरैः

Transliteration

pūrṇimāyāṃ maheṃdrādrau punarāgamanaṃ kapeḥ | mārgaśīrṣapratipadaḥ paṃcabhiḥ pathi vāsaraiḥ

Translation

À la pleine lune, sur le mont Mahendra, le singe revint. C’était le premier jour de Mārgaśīrṣa ; et en cinq jours de route, il acheva le trajet.

Word by Word

• पूर्णिमायाम्: on the full-moon (day)
• पूर्णिमायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrṇimā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• महेंद्राद्रौ: on Mount Mahendra
• महेंद्राद्रौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahendra + adri (प्रातिपदिक); mahendrādri (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (mahendrasya adriḥ)

• पुनरागमनम्: returning again
• पुनरागमनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: punar (अव्यय) + āgamana (प्रातिपदिक); punar-āgamana (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—अव्ययीभावः (punar + āgamana)

• कपेः: of the monkey (Hanumān)
• कपेः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मार्गशीर्षप्रतिपदः: the first lunar day of Mārgaśīrṣa
• मार्गशीर्षप्रतिपदः: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārgaśīrṣa + pratipad (प्रातिपदिक); mārgaśīrṣa-pratipad (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तिथिवाचकः; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (mārgaśīrṣasya pratipad)

• पंचभिः: by/with five
• पंचभिः: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañcan (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम् (vāsaraiḥ)

• पथि: on the way
• पथि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pathin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• वासरैः: with days (in five days)
• वासरैः: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (contextual; likely Sūta-style narration within Brahmakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahendrādri (Mahendragiri)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Under a bright full moon, Hanumān arrives atop Mahendrādri; the mountain silhouette meets the sea horizon, signaling safe return and mission success within five travel days.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Mahendra (Mountain)
• Mārgaśīrṣa
• Pūrṇimā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma unfolds in ordered time; sacred geography and sacred calendrics together frame the devotee’s mission.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahendraparvata (Mount Mahendra) is named, marking a significant sacred landmark in the journey narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed, though pūrṇimā and month/tithi markers are noted as auspicious temporal anchors.