Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

चतुर्द्दश्यां महेशानं पौर्णमास्यां पितामहम् । येऽर्चयन्ति च सप्तम्यां तुलस्या च गणाधिपम्

Transliteration

caturddaśyāṃ maheśānaṃ paurṇamāsyāṃ pitāmaham | ye'rcayanti ca saptamyāṃ tulasyā ca gaṇādhipam

Translation

சதுர்தசி நாளில் மஹேசானை, பௌர்ணமியில் பிதாமஹன் (பிரம்மா) ஐ, ஏழாம் நாளில் துளசியுடன் கணாதிபன் (கணேசன்) ஐ அர்ச்சிப்போர் பெரும் புண்ணியத்தை அடைவர்।

Word by Word

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• महेशानम्: Maheśāna (Śiva)
• महेशानम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• पौर्णमास्याम्: on the full-moon day
• पौर्णमास्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर्णमासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• पितामहम्: Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• पितामहम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• अर्चयन्ति: worship
• अर्चयन्ति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सप्तम्याम्: on the seventh (lunar day)
• सप्तम्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तुलस्याः: of Tulasī
• तुलस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुलसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गणाधिपम्: Gaṇādhipa (Gaṇeśa)
• गणाधिपम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गणानाम् अधिपः)

Speaker

Prahlāda (continued)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych of observances: (1) caturdaśī—Śiva-linga worship with tulasī; (2) pūrṇimā—Brahmā with four faces receiving offerings; (3) saptamī—Gaṇeśa receiving tulasī, with lunar phases shown above each panel.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśāna (Śiva)
• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Gaṇādhipa (Gaṇeśa)
• Tulasī
• Caturdaśī
• Paurṇimā
• Saptamī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic dharma integrates time (tithi) and devotion: specific days are praised for focused worship of particular deities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in the verse; it occurs within the Dvārakā Māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tithi-specific arcana: Śiva on caturdaśī, Brahmā on paurṇimā, and Gaṇeśa on saptamī, using tulasī as offering.