Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

माघमासेऽसितायां वै चतुर्दश्यामथाग्रतः । मृगमार्गविलोकार्थी बिल्वपत्राण्यपातयत्

Transliteration

māghamāse'sitāyāṃ vai caturdaśyāmathāgrataḥ | mṛgamārgavilokārthī bilvapatrāṇyapātayat

Translation

Puis, au mois de Māgha, le quatorzième jour de la quinzaine sombre, tandis qu’il scrutait devant lui pour épier le passage des bêtes, il fit tomber des feuilles de bilva.

Word by Word

• माघमासे: in the month of Māgha
• माघमासे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघमास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—माघस्य मासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• असितायाम्: in the dark (fortnight)
• असितायाम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to implied ‘तिथौ/रात्रौ/पक्षे’)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तिथि-नाम

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (sequencer/then)

• अग्रतः: in front, ahead
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• मृगमार्गविलोकार्थी: desiring to look for the deer-path
• मृगमार्गविलोकार्थी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृग + मार्ग + विलोक + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—मृगमार्गस्य विलोकः तदर्थी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• बिल्वपत्राणि: bilva leaves
• बिल्वपत्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल्वपत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; समासः—बिल्वस्य पत्राणि (कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ)

• अपातयत्: dropped/caused to fall
• अपातयत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिजन्त—अपातयत् = ‘caused to fall/dropped’

Speaker

Lomaśa (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hunter-like figure in a Himalayan woodland on a Māgha kṛṣṇa-caturdaśī evening, peering along an animal trail; bilva leaves fall from his hand toward an unseen liṅga below.

Characters & Entities

• Māgha
• Caturdaśī
• Bilva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (tithi and month) amplifies spiritual consequences; even unintended acts can turn into worship in Śiva’s domain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Śaiva locale associated with the Śrīvṛkṣa and a liṅga, where bilva becomes an offering.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bilva-patra offering is implied; the timing (Māgha kṛṣṇa caturdaśī) is highlighted as ritually potent.