Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

अष्टभ्यां च सिते पक्षे असितां वा चतुर्दशीम् । पूजयित्वा महादेवं प्रीणयेद्गीतवाद्यकैः

Transliteration

aṣṭabhyāṃ ca site pakṣe asitāṃ vā caturdaśīm | pūjayitvā mahādevaṃ prīṇayedgītavādyakaiḥ

Translation

ശുക്ലപക്ഷത്തിലെ അഷ്ടമി അല്ലെങ്കിൽ കൃഷ്ണപക്ഷത്തിലെ ചതുര്ദശി ദിനത്തിൽ മഹാദേവനെ പൂജിച്ച്, ഗീതവും വാദ്യവും കൊണ്ട് അവനെ പ്രീതിപ്പെടുത്തണം.

Word by Word

• अष्टभ्याम्: with eight (days)
• अष्टभ्याम्: Karana (Measure/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन (instrumental plural; ‘by/with eight’)

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

• सिते: in the bright (fortnight)
• सिते: Adhikarana (Time-context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular), पक्षे इति विशेषण (qualifying)

• पक्षे: in the fortnight
• पक्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular)

• असिताम्: dark (fortnight’s)
• असिताम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (accusative singular), चतुर्दशीम् इति विशेषण (qualifying)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्पार्थक (or)

• चतुर्दशीम्: the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दशीम्: Karman (Object—time observed/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक; चतुर् + दश)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (accusative singular; lunar day)

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (having worshipped)

• महादेवम्: Mahādeva
• महादेवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक; महा + देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• प्रीणयेत्: should please/satisfy
• प्रीणयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त causative (प्रीणय), विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• गीतवाद्यकैः: with songs and musical instruments
• गीतवाद्यकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत + वाद्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन (instrumental plural; means)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic speaker within Revā Khaṇḍa; traditionally Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relaying the māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Evening worship at a Śiva temple: after pūjā, devotees sing while playing vīṇā, mṛdaṅga, and cymbals; lamps glow, and the liṅga is adorned with flowers.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Mahādeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti expressed through timely observance (tithi) and devotional arts (song and music) is upheld as a pleasing offering to Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred setting (Revā/Narmadā region), though no single tirtha-name appears in the verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship of Mahādeva on aṣṭamī (bright fortnight) or caturdaśī (dark fortnight), accompanied by gīta and vādyas.