Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

माघमासेऽसितायां वै चतुर्दश्यामथाग्रतः । मृगमार्गविलोकार्थी बिल्वपत्राण्यपातयत्

Transliteration

māghamāse'sitāyāṃ vai caturdaśyāmathāgrataḥ | mṛgamārgavilokārthī bilvapatrāṇyapātayat

Translation

Pada hari keempat belas paruh gelap bulan Māgha, ketika ia menatap ke depan untuk mengintai jejak jalan hewan, ia membuat daun bilva berjatuhan.

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.