Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

क्षीराब्धिं संपरित्यज्य सदा मासचतुष्टयम् । श्रूयतां च फलं यत्स्यात्तस्मिन्नाराधिते विभो

Transliteration

kṣīrābdhiṃ saṃparityajya sadā māsacatuṣṭayam | śrūyatāṃ ca phalaṃ yatsyāttasminnārādhite vibho

Translation

بعد مفارقة بحرِ اللبن والمقام هناك أربعةَ أشهرٍ على الدوام، اسمعوا الآن ما الثمرةُ التي تنشأ حين يُعبَدُ ذلك الربُّ الجليل في ذلك الموضع، يا ذا الجلال.

Word by Word

• क्षीराब्धिम्: the ocean of milk
• क्षीराब्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक) + अब्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्षीरस्य अब्धिः)

• सम्परित्यज्य: having completely abandoned
• सम्परित्यज्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-परि-त्यज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund, ल्यप्); ‘having completely abandoned’

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• मासचतुष्टयम्: a set of four months
• मासचतुष्टयम्: Karma (Object/extent/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक) + चतुष्टय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मासानां चतुष्टयम्)

• श्रूयताम्: let (it) be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; आज्ञार्थे/विधिलिङ्गार्थे ‘let it be heard’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• फलम्: result, fruit
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; relative (qualifying फलम्)

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्मिन्: in that (place/condition)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• आराधिते: when worshipped
• आराधिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘when (he) is worshipped’ (locative absolute sense with तस्मिन्)

• विभो: O Lord
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (continued narration; immediate context from preceding verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (Janārdana’s Cāturmāsya abode)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic transition: Vishnu associated with the Milk Ocean is shown ‘arriving’ or manifesting in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra for four months; pilgrims worship through monsoon into autumn, awaiting the promised fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣīrābdhi (Milk Ocean)
• Vibhu (Lord)
• Cāturmāsya (implied four months)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The four-month sacred season is presented as a special devotional window, with amplified results when worship is performed at the tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context continues the glorification of Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra where Janārdana is associated with the four-month period.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (ārādhana) of the Lord during the four months (māsacatuṣṭaya/Cāturmāsya) is highlighted.