Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

षण्मासाश्च दिनार्धं च प्रथमं शुक्लपूर्वकम् । सौरसावनचंद्रार्क्षैर्मानैरेभिश्चतुर्विधैः

Transliteration

ṣaṇmāsāśca dinārdhaṃ ca prathamaṃ śuklapūrvakam | saurasāvanacaṃdrārkṣairmānairebhiścaturvidhaiḥ

Translation

ആറ് മാസവും അർദ്ധദിനവും—ആദ്യം ശുക്ലപക്ഷത്തിൽ ആരംഭിച്ച്—ഈ നാലുവിധ മാനങ്ങളാൽ കണക്കാക്കപ്പെടുന്നു: സൗര, സാവന, ചാന്ദ്ര, നാക്ഷത്ര।

Word by Word

• षण्मासाः: six-month periods
• षण्मासाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मास (प्रातिपदिक; षट् + मास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (षट् मासाः)

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

• दिनार्धम्: half a day
• दिनार्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिनार्ध (प्रातिपदिक; दिन + अर्ध)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दिनस्य अर्धम्)

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

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• शुक्लपूर्वकम्: beginning with the bright (fortnight)
• शुक्लपूर्वकम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल-पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक; शुक्ल + पूर्वक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयप्रायः; विशेषणम् (शुक्लेन पूर्वकं यत्)

• सौरसावनचंद्रार्क्षैः: by the solar, civil (sāvana), lunar, and nakṣatra measures
• सौरसावनचंद्रार्क्षैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौर + सावन + चान्द्र + आर्क्ष (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (सौर-सावन-चान्द्र-आर्क्ष)

• मानैः: by measures
• मानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• एभिः: by these
• एभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• चतुर्विधैः: fourfold
• चतुर्विधैः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्विध (प्रातिपदिक; चतुर् + विध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (चतुर्भिः विधैः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not in snippet)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viprāḥ (contextually addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching tableau: a sage points to a pañcāṅga-like chart showing sun, moon, nakṣatras; four labeled measures (saura, sāvana, cāndra, ārkṣa). A crescent moon marks śukla-pakṣa beginning; a half-day is indicated by a split disc.

Characters & Entities

• Solar time (saura)
• Sāvana time
• Lunar time (cāndra)
• Stellar/Nakshatra time (ārkṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practiced in harmony with sacred time; correct reckoning supports proper observance of vows, festivals, and pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse explains calendrical standards that underpin tīrtha and vrata observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed, but the verse provides the time-measures used to determine auspicious observances.