Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

त्रिंशन्मुहूर्त्तमुद्दिष्टमहोरात्रं मनीषिभिः । मासस्त्रिंशदहोरात्रैद्वौ द्वौ मासावृतुं विदुः

Transliteration

triṃśanmuhūrttamuddiṣṭamahorātraṃ manīṣibhiḥ | māsastriṃśadahorātraidvau dvau māsāvṛtuṃ viduḥ

Translation

Les sages déclarent qu’un ahorātra (jour et nuit) se compose de trente muhūrtas. Un mois se compte comme trente de tels jours-nuits, et tous les deux mois sont connus comme une saison (ṛtu).

Word by Word

• triṃśat: thirty
• triṃśat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: triṃśat (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम्; अव्ययवत् (indeclinable numeral used adjectivally)

• muhūrtam: a muhūrta (time-unit)
• muhūrtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muhūrta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• uddiṣṭam: designated, stated
• uddiṣṭam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ud-diś (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• ahaḥrātram: a day-and-night (a full day)
• ahaḥrātram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahaḥrātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (अहः + रात्र); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• manīṣibhiḥ: by the sages/wise men
• manīṣibhiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manīṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

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

• triṃśat: thirty
• triṃśat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: triṃśat (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम्; अव्ययवत्

• ahaḥrātraiḥ: by (means of) day-nights (days)
• ahaḥrātraiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahaḥrātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• dvau: two
• dvau: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• dvau: two (each)
• dvau: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, द्विवचन (पुनरुक्ति—वितरणार्थम्)

• māsau: two months
• māsau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• ṛtum: a season
• ṛtum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛtu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• viduḥ: they know/consider
• viduḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprendra (best of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic calendar wheel shows 30 muhūrtas in a day, 30 days in a month, and paired months forming seasons; pilgrims traverse landscapes changing with seasons—summer heat, monsoon clouds, autumn clarity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic dharma embeds worship within a sacred calendar; understanding day, month, and season supports disciplined observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site; this is a universal calendrical teaching placed within the Tīrthamāhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The standard reckoning of ahorātra, month, and season used to structure vratas, pilgrimages, and temple festivals.