Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

शाके संक्रमते ब्रह्मा श्रावणे मासि संस्थिते । दध्नि भाद्रपदे विष्णुः क्षीरे चाश्वयुजे हरः

Transliteration

śāke saṃkramate brahmā śrāvaṇe māsi saṃsthite | dadhni bhādrapade viṣṇuḥ kṣīre cāśvayuje haraḥ

Translation

في شهر شرافَنا (Śrāvaṇa) يُقال إنّ براهما «يدخل» في الخُضَر الورقية؛ وفي بهادرابادا (Bhādrapada) يحلّ فيشنو في اللبن الرائب؛ وفي آشڤايوجا (Āśvayuja) يقيم هارا (شيفا) في الحليب.

Word by Word

• śāke: in greens/vegetables
• śāke: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• saṃkramate: transfers/enters
• saṃkramate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ-kram (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• śrāvaṇe: in Śrāvaṇa
• śrāvaṇe: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (month-name)

• māsi: in the month
• māsi: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• saṃsthite: when situated/occurring
• saṃsthite: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-sthita (कृदन्त; स्था-धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with māsi)

• dadhni: in curd
• dadhni: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dadhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• bhādrapade: in Bhādrapada
• bhādrapade: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhādrapada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (month-name)

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• kṣīre: in milk
• kṣīre: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

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

• āśvayuje: in Āśvayuja
• āśvayuje: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśvayuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (month-name)

• haraḥ: Hara (Śiva)
• haraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Māhātmya-style narration in Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A month-wheel (kāla-cakra) showing Śrāvaṇa, Bhādrapada, Āśvayuja; each month paired with a food item (leafy greens, curd, milk) and a deity (Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Hara) hovering above, indicating sacred presence.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Hara (Śiva)
• Śrāvaṇa
• Bhādrapada
• Āśvayuja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dietary restraint is sacralized by linking certain foods with divine presence across specific months, deepening reverence and discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse provides month-wise vrata guidance within the Tīrthamāhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A doctrinal basis for month-wise abstentions: greens in Śrāvaṇa, curd in Bhādrapada, and milk in Āśvayuja are highlighted via deity-association.