Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अज्ञानेनापि भो विप्राः पुष्कसेन दुरात्मना । माघमासेऽसिते पक्षे चतुर्दश्यां विधूदये

Transliteration

ajñānenāpi bho viprāḥ puṣkasena durātmanā | māghamāse'site pakṣe caturdaśyāṃ vidhūdaye

Translation

اے وِپرو (برہمنو)، نادانی میں بھی اُس بدباطن پُشکسین کے ہاتھوں یہ واقعہ ہوا—ماہِ ماغھ کے کرشن پکش کی چودھویں تِتھی کو، چاند کے طلوع ہوتے وقت۔

Word by Word

• अज्ञानेन: through ignorance
• अज्ञानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Discourse particle (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle ‘even/also’)

• भो: O!
• भो: Sambodhana marker (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भो (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (addressing)

• पुष्कसेन: by Puṣkasena
• पुष्कसेन: Karana/Agent-association (Instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कसेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• दुरात्मना: by the wicked one
• दुरात्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—दुष्ट आत्मा (कर्मधारय)

• माघमासे: in the month of Māgha
• माघमासे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघमास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—माघस्य मासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• असिते: in the dark
• असिते: Adhikarana (Locative-qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to पक्षे)

• पक्षे: in the fortnight
• पक्षे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (tithi)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विधूदये: at moonrise
• विधूदये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधु + उदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—विधोः उदये (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator addressing brāhmaṇas while the scene shifts to a moonrise on Māgha kṛṣṇa-caturdaśī; the forest clearing with the liṅga is bathed in pale lunar light, marking the sacred timing of the accidental pūjā.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣkasena
• Māgha māsa
• Kṛṣṇa pakṣa
• Caturdaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma often highlights that sacred time (tithi and month) can intensify outcomes—even when actions are done without full awareness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra region and its sacred framework (Kedārakhaṇḍa), where time-and-place magnify spiritual consequence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription—this verse specifies the auspicious/charged time: Māgha, kṛṣṇa pakṣa caturdaśī at moonrise.