Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

पूर्णचंद्रमसी या तु सा पूर्णा देवताप्रिया । नष्टस्तु चंद्रो यस्यां वा अमा सा कथिता बुधैः

Transliteration

pūrṇacaṃdramasī yā tu sā pūrṇā devatāpriyā | naṣṭastu caṃdro yasyāṃ vā amā sā kathitā budhaiḥ

Translation

月が満ちて円満なる夜は「プールナー（Pūrṇā）」といい、神々に愛される。月が「失われ」見えぬ夜は、賢者たちが「アマー（Amā／アマーヴァーシャー）」と称する。

Word by Word

• पूर्णचन्द्रमसी: (day) with the full moon
• पूर्णचन्द्रमसी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्ण + चन्द्रमसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘पूर्णः चन्द्रः यस्यां सा’ इत्यर्थे

• या: which
• या: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• सा: that (she/it)
• सा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• पूर्णा: full, complete
• पूर्णा: Karta (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सा)

• देवताप्रिया: dear to the deities
• देवताप्रिया: Karta (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवता + प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवतायाः प्रिया)

• नष्टः: vanished
• नष्टः: Karta (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (नश् धातोः क्त)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• चन्द्रः: the moon
• चन्द्रः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• यस्याम्: in which (night/day)
• यस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पबोधक अव्यय (disjunctive)

• अमा: Amāvāsyā (new-moon day)
• अमा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• सा: that
• सा: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• कथिता: is said/called
• कथिता: Kriyā (Predicate; passive sense)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle)

• बुधैः: by the wise
• बुधैः: Karana (Agent in passive / Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijas/ritual practitioners

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasting nights: a radiant full moon adored by devas, and a dark moonless night where sages perform quiet offerings—set against a Himalayan shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Pūrṇimā
• Amāvāsyā
• Devatāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The lunar cycle marks distinct sacred thresholds—fullness and dissolution—both guiding dharmic timing and devotional focus.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within Kedārakhaṇḍa, but this verse does not single out a particular tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It identifies Pūrṇimā and Amāvāsyā as key tithis, commonly used for deity worship and ancestral rites.