Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

पक्षाभ्यां मास एव स्यान्मासा द्वादश वत्सरः । तं कालं ज्ञातुकामेन कार्यं ज्ञानं विचक्षणैः

Transliteration

pakṣābhyāṃ māsa eva syānmāsā dvādaśa vatsaraḥ | taṃ kālaṃ jñātukāmena kāryaṃ jñānaṃ vicakṣaṇaiḥ

Translation

De deux quinzaines se forme un mois; de douze mois, une année. Ainsi, celui qui veut connaître le temps doit cultiver ce savoir avec discernement.

Word by Word

• pakṣābhyām: by two fortnights
• pakṣābhyām: Karaṇa (Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Dual)

• māsaḥ: a month
• māsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• syāt: would be/is (defined as)
• syāt: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• māsāḥ: months
• māsāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• dvādaśa: twelve
• dvādaśa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्यावाचक; बहुवचन-विशेषण (numeral adjective qualifying māsāḥ)

• vatsaraḥ: a year
• vatsaraḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tam: that
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kālam: time
• kālam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• jñātukāmena: by one who wishes to know
• jñātukāmena: Karaṇa/Hetu (Agent-instrumental/Reason/करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñātu (तुमुनन्त/infinitive-base from jñā धातु) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (jñātu-kāma = desiring to know)

• kāryam: is to be done
• kāryam: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (what should be done)

• jñānam: knowledge
• jñānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vicakṣaṇaiḥ: by the discerning (wise)
• vicakṣaṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vicakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणवत् (by the discerning/wise)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage draws a simple time-ladder: pakṣa → māsa → vatsara; a pilgrim holds a pañcāṅga while Kedāranātha temple stands in the background, suggesting knowledge as part of devotion.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discernment about time supports disciplined dharma—vows, worship, and charity performed at proper times bear greater merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra-kṣetra context frames the teaching, but the verse itself is a general instruction on sacred time.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It recommends acquiring correct calendrical knowledge to properly undertake vratas and other dharmic acts.