Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 113

Devanagari script

वैशाख्यां मार्गशीर्ष्यां वाषाढ्यां चैत्र्यामथापि वा । अयने विषुवे चैव व्यतीपाते च सर्वदा

Transliteration

vaiśākhyāṃ mārgaśīrṣyāṃ vāṣāḍhyāṃ caitryāmathāpi vā | ayane viṣuve caiva vyatīpāte ca sarvadā

Translation

വൈശാഖം, മാർഗശീർഷം, ആഷാഢം അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ചൈത്രം മാസങ്ങളിലും (ഇത്) ചെയ്യാം. അയനകാലത്തും, വിഷുവത്തും, വ്യതീപാതത്തും—എപ്പോഴും ശുഭസമയങ്ങളിൽ.

Word by Word

• vaiśākhyām: in Vaiśākha
• vaiśākhyām: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśākhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; वैशाख्याम् (in Vaiśākhī/Vaiśākha time)

• mārgaśīrṣyām: in Mārgaśīrṣa
• mārgaśīrṣyām: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārgaśīrṣī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; मार्गशीर्ष्याम् (in Mārgaśīrṣa)

• vāṣāḍhyām: in Āṣāḍha
• vāṣāḍhyām: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āṣāḍhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; आषाढ्याम् (in Āṣāḍha)

• caitryām: in Caitra
• caitryām: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caitrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; चैत्र्याम् (in Caitra)

• atha: then/also
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse/प्रस्ताव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/प्रस्ताव-अव्यय

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्यय (particle: 'also/even')

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive: 'or')

• ayane: at the solstice (ayana)
• ayane: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अयने (at solstice/ayana period)

• viṣuve: at the equinox
• viṣuve: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣuva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विषुवे (at equinox)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय

• vyatīpāte: at Vyatīpāta (astral conjunction)
• vyatīpāte: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyatīpāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; व्यतीपाते (on the Vyatīpāta yoga)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• sarvadā: always
• sarvadā: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: 'always')

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from immediate narrative context in Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāla-tīrtha (sacred time) within Revā-khaṇḍa practice

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pañcāṅga-reading priest-scholar indicates months and astronomical nodes; the sky shows solstice/equinox symbolism, while pilgrims prepare gifts at a river ghat—time itself becomes sacred.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśākha
• Mārgaśīrṣa
• Āṣāḍha
• Caitra
• Vyatīpāta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is strengthened by aligning sacred acts with sanctified seasons and cosmic junctions.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The larger unit praises Cakratīrtha in the Revā (Narmadā) milieu; this verse focuses on auspicious timing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It lists suitable months and times—solstices, equinoxes, and Vyatīpāta—for performing the recommended dāna/rite.