Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

तत्र तीर्थेऽश्विने मासि चतुर्दश्यां विशेषतः । वायुमार्गे स्थितः शक्रस्तिष्ठते दैवतैः सह

Transliteration

tatra tīrthe'śvine māsi caturdaśyāṃ viśeṣataḥ | vāyumārge sthitaḥ śakrastiṣṭhate daivataiḥ saha

Translation

ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ആശ്വിന മാസത്തിലെ ചതുര്ദശിയിൽ, വായുമാർഗത്തിൽ (അന്തരീക്ഷത്തിൽ) നിലകൊള്ളുന്ന ശക്രൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ) മറ്റ് ദേവന്മാരോടൊപ്പം അവിടെ വസിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• अश्विने: in (the month of) Aśvina
• अश्विने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्विन (प्रातिपदिक; मासनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

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

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: ‘especially’)

• वायुमार्गे: in the path/region of wind
• वायुमार्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु-मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक; वायु + मार्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वायोः मार्गः)

• स्थितः: stationed
• स्थितः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (PPP), कर्तरि-प्रयोगे ‘being stationed’

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• तिष्ठते: stands/abides
• तिष्ठते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• दैवतैः: with the deities
• दैवतैः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• सह: with
• सह: Sambandha (Association-marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devakhāta

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A twilight Āśvina caturdaśī scene at the kunda: Indra (Śakra) in the mid-sky ‘wind-path’ with devas, looking down upon devotees bathing and offering lamps; the air is dynamic with wind-streamers and flower rain.

Characters & Entities

• Devakhāta Tīrtha
• Āśvina
• Caturdaśī
• Śakra (Indra)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain calendrical moments (tithi and month) intensify the sanctity of a tīrtha, making worship and pilgrimage especially fruitful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Devakhāta tīrtha (within the Māṇḍaveśvara context of Reva Khaṇḍa).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse highlights Āśvina month caturdaśī as a particularly significant time for tīrtha-based devotion.