Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

चैत्रस्य ज्येष्ठमासस्य पंचैताः पूर्णिमा नृप । मनूनामादयः प्रोक्तास्तिथयस्ते मया नृप

Transliteration

caitrasya jyeṣṭhamāsasya paṃcaitāḥ pūrṇimā nṛpa | manūnāmādayaḥ proktāstithayaste mayā nṛpa

Translation

ഹേ നൃപാ! ചൈത്രവും ജ്യേഷ്ഠവും ഉൾപ്പെടെയുള്ള ഈ അഞ്ചു പൗർണ്ണമികൾ മനുക്കൾക്ക് പ്രിയമായ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ തിഥികളാണെന്ന് ഞാൻ നിനക്കു പ്രസ്താവിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• चैत्रस्य: of (the month) Caitra
• चैत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ज्येष्ठमासस्य: of the month of Jyeṣṭha
• ज्येष्ठमासस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्येष्ठ-मास (प्रातिपदिक); घटकौ—ज्येष्ठ + मास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; विशेषण (numeral)

• एताः: these (f. pl.)
• एताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; निर्देशक-सर्वनाम

• पूर्णिमा: (are) full-moon days
• पूर्णिमा: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्णिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (जातिवाचक/समाहारार्थे)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• मनूनाम्: of the Manus
• मनूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• आदयः: the beginnings, etc. (and others)
• आदयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘आदि’ = beginning/and others

• प्रोक्ताः: declared, stated
• प्रोक्ताः: Karma (Predicate participle; stated/declared)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तिथयः: lunar days (tithis)
• तिथयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ते: those
• ते: Visheshya (Correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अत्र—प्रथमा बहुवचन (those)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage addresses a king in a court-like hermitage setting, enumerating five full-moon days; above them, five moon discs appear in sequence, symbolizing the pañcaka.

Characters & Entities

• Manus
• King (nṛpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is preserved through lineage and cosmic order; honoring time-hallowed tithis aligns one with Manu-founded tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named in this verse; it continues a tīrtha-māhātmya discourse by establishing a hierarchy of sacred tithis.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Preference for certain pūrṇimā tithis as ‘foremost’ for Pitṛ-oriented observances.