Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

चतुर्द्दश्यां महेशानं पौर्णमास्यां पितामहम् । येऽर्चयन्ति च सप्तम्यां तुलस्या च गणाधिपम्

Transliteration

caturddaśyāṃ maheśānaṃ paurṇamāsyāṃ pitāmaham | ye'rcayanti ca saptamyāṃ tulasyā ca gaṇādhipam

Translation

जो चतुर्दशी को महेशान, पूर्णिमा को पितामह (ब्रह्मा) और सप्तमी को गणाधिप (गणेश) की तुलसी सहित पूजा करते हैं, वे महान् पुण्य के भागी होते हैं।

Word by Word

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

• महेशानम्: Maheśāna (Śiva)
• महेशानम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• पौर्णमास्याम्: on the full-moon day
• पौर्णमास्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर्णमासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• पितामहम्: Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• पितामहम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• अर्चयन्ति: worship
• अर्चयन्ति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सप्तम्याम्: on the seventh (lunar day)
• सप्तम्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तुलस्याः: of Tulasī
• तुलस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुलसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गणाधिपम्: Gaṇādhipa (Gaṇeśa)
• गणाधिपम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गणानाम् अधिपः)

Speaker

Prahlāda (continued)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych of observances: (1) caturdaśī—Śiva-linga worship with tulasī; (2) pūrṇimā—Brahmā with four faces receiving offerings; (3) saptamī—Gaṇeśa receiving tulasī, with lunar phases shown above each panel.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśāna (Śiva)
• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Gaṇādhipa (Gaṇeśa)
• Tulasī
• Caturdaśī
• Paurṇimā
• Saptamī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic dharma integrates time (tithi) and devotion: specific days are praised for focused worship of particular deities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in the verse; it occurs within the Dvārakā Māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tithi-specific arcana: Śiva on caturdaśī, Brahmā on paurṇimā, and Gaṇeśa on saptamī, using tulasī as offering.