Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

पापहा सर्वमासेषु चातुर्मास्ये विशेषतः । इदं रहस्यं वेदानां पुराणानामनेकशः

Transliteration

pāpahā sarvamāseṣu cāturmāsye viśeṣataḥ | idaṃ rahasyaṃ vedānāṃ purāṇānāmanekaśaḥ

Translation

إنه يُبيدُ الخطيئةَ في كل شهر—وخاصةً في موسم تشاتورماسيا (Cāturmāsya) المقدّس. وهذا سرٌّ تكرّر تعليمه في الفيدات وفي كثيرٍ من البورانات.

Word by Word

• पापहा: destroyer of sin
• पापहा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-हन् (प्रातिपदिक; √हन् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (पापं हन्ति इति)

• सर्वमासेषु: in all months
• सर्वमासेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वे मासाः)

• चातुर्मास्ये: in the Cāturmāsya (four-month period)
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• रहस्यम्: secret, esoteric teaching
• रहस्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• वेदानाम्: of the Vedas
• वेदानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• पुराणानाम्: of the Purāṇas
• पुराणानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• अनेकशः: in many ways / repeatedly
• अनेकशः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: multiplicity)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cāturmāsya-kāla (sacred season)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Monsoon-to-autumn progression: four panels of the Cāturmāsya months with a devotee steadily chanting before a lamp and tulasī; above, palm-leaf manuscripts labeled ‘Veda’ and ‘Purāṇa’ signify the ‘rahasya’ teaching.

Characters & Entities

• Vedas
• Purāṇas
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Timing matters in dharma: spiritual practice is always purifying, yet Cāturmāsya is singled out as exceptionally potent for removing sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse highlights a sacred time-period (Cāturmāsya) rather than a named geographical tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It recommends undertaking the praised spiritual discipline particularly during Cāturmāsya for heightened pāpa-kṣaya (sin-removal).