Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

यथा तावश्विनौ तत्र देववैद्यौ व्यवस्थितौ । आश्विने मासि चाश्विन्यां पूर्णिमायां तथा तिथौ

Transliteration

yathā tāvaśvinau tatra devavaidyau vyavasthitau | āśvine māsi cāśvinyāṃ pūrṇimāyāṃ tathā tithau

Translation

അതുപോലെ അവിടെ ദേവവൈദ്യന്മാരായ ആ രണ്ടു അശ്വിനീകുമാരന്മാർ സ്ഥാപിതരായിരിക്കുന്നു; കൂടാതെ ആശ്വിനമാസത്തിൽ അശ്വിനീ നക്ഷത്രയുക്തമായ പൗർണ്ണമി തിഥിയിൽ—

Word by Word

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/just as)

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• aśvinau: the two Aśvins
• aśvinau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• deva-vaidyau: physicians of the gods
• deva-vaidyau: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + vaidya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; तत्पुरुषः (देवानां वैद्यौ)

• vyavasthitau: are stationed/established
• vyavasthitau: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु) उपसर्गः vi + ava +
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; स्थितिवाचक

• āśvine: in the month of Āśvina
• āśvine: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āśvina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणं (मासि)

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

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

• āśvinyām: on (the day of) Āśvinī (nakṣatra)
• āśvinyām: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśvinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; नक्षत्रवाचक

• pūrṇimāyām: on the full-moon day
• pūrṇimāyām: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrṇimā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अनुक्रमवाचक (likewise)

• tithau: on the lunar date
• tithau: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tithi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta in Tīrtha-māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Twin divine physicians (Aśvins) stand symmetrically at the kṣetra, holding healing herbs and a golden vessel; a full moon rises, and the Aśvinī star motif appears above; pilgrims offer lamps and medicinal garlands.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvinau (Aśvins)
• Āśvina month
• Aśvinī nakṣatra
• Pūrṇimā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrthas are linked to sacred time; aligning worship with auspicious month, tithi, and nakṣatra heightens spiritual efficacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the praise of the same “there” (tatra) kṣetra in Adhyāya 155; the proper noun of the site is not provided in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance connected with Āśvina month, Pūrṇimā, and Aśvinī nakṣatra in relation to the Aśvins’ presence.