Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

कालो भाद्रपदमासमारभ्य वृश्चिकावधि । महालयस्य कथितो मुनिभिस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः

Transliteration

kālo bhādrapadamāsamārabhya vṛścikāvadhi | mahālayasya kathito munibhistattvadarśibhiḥ

Translation

Les sages qui voient la vérité déclarent que la période de Mahālaya s’étend du mois de Bhādrapada jusqu’à (la saison de) Vṛścika.

Word by Word

• kālaḥ: the time/period
• kālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• bhādrapada-māsam: the month of Bhādrapada
• bhādrapada-māsam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhādrapada (प्रातिपदिक) + māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; आरम्भ-अपादानस्य विषयः (object with gerund)

• ārabhya: beginning from
• ārabhya: Adhikarana (Starting point/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā√rabh (धातु) [आरम्भे]
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• vṛścikāvadhi: up to (the month of) Vṛścika
• vṛścikāvadhi: Adhikarana (Limit/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vṛścika (प्रातिपदिक) + avadhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (indeclinable sense: 'up to')

• mahālayasya: of Mahālaya
• mahālayasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• kathitaḥ: is said/declared
• kathitaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (धातु) [कथने] + kta (क्त) → kathita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• munibhiḥ: by sages
• munibhiḥ: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; कर्तृकरणभावः (agent in passive)

• tattva-darśibhiḥ: by truth-seeing (sages)
• tattva-darśibhiḥ: Karta (Agent-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक) + darśin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; मुनिविशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahālaya-kāla (seasonal tīrtha-time)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages (tattva-darśins) seated in assembly, pointing to a lunar calendar/pañcāṅga, marking Bhādrapada through Vṛścika as Mahālaya; the mood is authoritative and serene.

Characters & Entities

• Mahālaya
• Munis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred duties are tied to sacred time; knowing the proper window for Mahālaya strengthens ritual efficacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a single site; rather, the verse glorifies Mahālaya-kāla as a pan-Indic sacred season within Setukhaṇḍa teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observe Mahālaya-related Pitṛ rites within the recognized period beginning in Bhādrapada and extending toward Vṛścika.