Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

माघे चैत्रेऽथ वैशाखे श्रावणे नृपनन्दन । मासि मार्गशिरे चैव शुक्लपक्षे तु सर्वदा

Transliteration

māghe caitre'tha vaiśākhe śrāvaṇe nṛpanandana | māsi mārgaśire caiva śuklapakṣe tu sarvadā

Translation

હે નૃપનંદન, માઘ, ચૈત્ર, વૈશાખ અને શ્રાવણમાં—અને માર્ગશીર્ષ માસમાં પણ—સદા શુક્લપક્ષમાં (વિશેષતઃ),

Word by Word

• माघे: in (the month of) Māgha
• माघे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण (time-locative)

• चैत्रे: in Caitra
• चैत्रे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• अथ: then/also
• अथ: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक/प्रसङ्गार्थक निपात (then/and further)

• वैशाखे: in Vaiśākha
• वैशाखे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशाख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• श्रावणे: in Śrāvaṇa
• श्रावणे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• नृपनन्दन: O son of the king
• नृपनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• मार्गशीर्षे: in Mārgaśīrṣa
• मार्गशीर्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गशीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• च: and
• च: Samucchaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात

• शुक्लपक्षे: in the bright fortnight
• शुक्लपक्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• तु: indeed
• तु: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषार्थक निपात

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice addressing a prince)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha of the chapter (unnamed here)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Prince (nṛpanandana)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calendar-like montage: pilgrims bathing at the ghāṭ under different seasonal skies—Māgha cool mist, Caitra blossoms, Vaiśākha bright sun, Śrāvaṇa monsoon clouds, Mārgaśīrṣa clear dawn—always with the moon waxing (śukla-pakṣa).

Characters & Entities

• Māgha
• Caitra
• Vaiśākha
• Śrāvaṇa
• Mārgaśīrṣa
• Śukla Pakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic dharma aligns pilgrimage and worship with sacred time—certain months and bright fortnights heighten merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Parāśara-associated Narmadā southern-bank tīrtha, whose observance is tied to auspicious months.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Timing guidance: undertake the tīrtha observance particularly in Māgha, Caitra, Vaiśākha, Śrāvaṇa, and Mārgaśīrṣa, in the śukla pakṣa.