Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

सायाह्नः पंचमश्चापि मुहूर्ता दश पंच च । अहोरात्राः पंचदश पक्ष इत्यभिधीयते

Transliteration

sāyāhnaḥ paṃcamaścāpi muhūrtā daśa paṃca ca | ahorātrāḥ paṃcadaśa pakṣa ityabhidhīyate

Translation

ପଞ୍ଚମ କାଳ ସାୟାହ୍ନ (ସନ୍ଧ୍ୟା) ଅଟେ; ଏବଂ (ଏକ ଦିନରେ) ପନ୍ଦର ମୁହୂର୍ତ୍ତ ଥାଏ। ପନ୍ଦର ଅହୋରାତ୍ରକୁ ‘ପକ୍ଷ’ ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• sāyāhnaḥ: evening (sāyāhna)
• sāyāhnaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāyāhna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• paṃcamaḥ: the fifth
• paṃcamaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paṃcama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (also)

• muhūrtāḥ: muhūrtas
• muhūrtāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muhūrta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या; परिमाणवाचक (ten)

• paṃca: five
• paṃca: Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या; परिमाणवाचक (five)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• aho-rātrāḥ: day-nights (full days)
• aho-rātrāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahan + rātri (प्रातिपदिक; द्वन्द्व)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); द्वन्द्वसमासः (ahan + rātri)

• paṃcadaśa: fifteen
• paṃcadaśa: Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paṃcadaśa (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या; परिमाणवाचक (fifteen)

• pakṣaḥ: fortnight
• pakṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-उक्त्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• abhidhīyate: is called
• abhidhīyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhidhā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calendar-like composition: the five daily periods culminating in sāyāhna; beside it, a crescent-to-full moon arc showing fifteen day-nights forming a pakṣa; pilgrims mark days on a palm-leaf almanac (pañcāṅga).

Characters & Entities

• sāyāhna
• muhūrta
• pakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual life follows lunar and daily measures; knowing pakṣa and muhūrta supports correct observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this verse defines calendrical units.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription.