Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

मासो भाद्रपदः कालस्तत्रापि हि विशिष्यते । कृष्ण पक्षो विशिष्टः स्याद्दुराचारक तत्र वै

Transliteration

māso bhādrapadaḥ kālastatrāpi hi viśiṣyate | kṛṣṇa pakṣo viśiṣṭaḥ syāddurācāraka tatra vai

Translation

Parmi ces temps, le mois de Bhādrapada est tout particulièrement éminent ; et en son sein, la quinzaine sombre est la plus remarquable — même pour l’homme de mauvaise conduite, en vérité.

Word by Word

• māsaḥ: the month
• māsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• bhādrapadaḥ: Bhādrapada
• bhādrapadaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhādrapada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; मासविशेषणम्

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

• tatra: there/in that (period)
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/प्रसङ्गवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (indeed)

• viśiṣyate: is distinguished/excels
• viśiṣyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi√śiṣ (धातु) [विशेषे]
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• kṛṣṇaḥ: dark (waning)
• kṛṣṇaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; पक्षविशेषणम्

• pakṣaḥ: fortnight
• pakṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• viśiṣṭaḥ: excellent/special
• viśiṣṭaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi√śiṣ (धातु) + kta (क्त) → viśiṣṭa (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषणम्

• syāt: would be/should be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु) [भू-भावे]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• durācāraka: O evil-doer
• durācāraka: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dur-ācāra-ka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; सम्बोधनम्

• tatra: there/in that (context)
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/प्रसङ्गवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

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

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhādrapada-kṛṣṇa-pakṣa (Mahālaya-pradhāna kāla)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night-sky of the dark fortnight over a quiet riverbank/sea-edge; a repentant person of ‘bad conduct’ approaches a simple pitṛ-altar with tila and water, suggesting time’s special grace.

Characters & Entities

• Mahālaya
• Bhādrapada
• Kṛṣṇa Pakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain sacred periods amplify spiritual practice; Mahālaya time offers upliftment even to those with faults.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse glorifies sacred time (Bhādrapada kṛṣṇa pakṣa) rather than a named tīrtha, within Setukhaṇḍa’s pilgrimage framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prioritize Pitṛ rites and śrāddha during Bhādrapada, especially in the kṛṣṇa pakṣa.