Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

चतुर्भेदं मासमाहुः पंचभेदं च वत्सरम् । संवत्सरस्तु प्रथमो द्वितीयः परिवत्सरः

Transliteration

caturbhedaṃ māsamāhuḥ paṃcabhedaṃ ca vatsaram | saṃvatsarastu prathamo dvitīyaḥ parivatsaraḥ

Translation

月は四つに分かれ、年は五つに分かれると説かれる。第一をサンヴァツァラ（Saṃvatsara）、第二をパリヴァツァラ（Parivatsara）という。

Word by Word

• चतुर्-भेदम्: fourfold
• चतुर्-भेदम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘चत्वारो भेदाः यस्य’ इति (having four divisions)

• मासम्: month
• मासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आहुः: they say
• आहुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• पञ्च-भेदम्: fivefold
• पञ्च-भेदम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘पञ्च भेदाः यस्य’ इति (having five divisions)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वत्सरम्: year
• वत्सरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• संवत्सरः: Saṃvatsara (name of a year)
• संवत्सरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• प्रथमः: first
• प्रथमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• द्वितीयः: second
• द्वितीयः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• परिवत्सरः: Parivatsara (name of a year)
• परिवत्सरः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A five-spoked wheel labeled Saṃvatsara, Parivatsara, Idvatsara, Anuvatsara, Yuga; a smaller four-part month diagram beside it; a teacher points while students note names.

Characters & Entities

• māsa
• vatsara
• Saṃvatsara
• Parivatsara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time is sacralized through named cycles; recognizing these divisions supports tradition-based observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it lists calendrical divisions and year-names.