Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

मितान्नाशनकृद्धीरश्चातुर्मास्ये नरो यदि । निर्धूय सकलं पापं वैकुण्ठपदमाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

mitānnāśanakṛddhīraścāturmāsye naro yadi | nirdhūya sakalaṃ pāpaṃ vaikuṇṭhapadamāpnuyāt

Translation

চাতুর্মাস্যে যদি ধীর পুরুষ মিতাহার করে, তবে সে সমস্ত পাপ ঝেড়ে ফেলে বৈকুণ্ঠপদ লাভ করে।

Word by Word

• मितान्नाशनकृत्: one who practices measured eating
• मितान्नाशनकृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित-अन्न-आशन-कृत् (प्रातिपदिक; मित + अन्न + आशन + कृत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मितान्नाशनं करोति इति)

• धीरः: steadfast/wise
• धीरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• चातुर्मास्ये: during Cāturmāsya
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Clause marker (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय (conditional particle)

• निर्धूय: having shaken off
• निर्धूय: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-√धू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund)

• सकलम्: entire
• सकलम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वैकुण्ठपदम्: the abode/state of Vaikuṇṭha
• वैकुण्ठपदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकुण्ठ-पद (प्रातिपदिक; वैकुण्ठ + पद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वैकुण्ठस्य पदम्)

• आप्नुयात्: would attain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa māhātmya-style instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined devotee eats a small measured meal after offering it to Viṣṇu; a vision of Vaikuṇṭha (four-armed Viṣṇu, Garuḍa, divine city) appears as the promised fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Vaikuṇṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-restraint in food during Cāturmāsya is portrayed as a powerful purifier that leads toward Viṣṇu’s highest abode.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse emphasizes the vow’s merit within a Tīrthamāhātmya context rather than naming a single tīrtha explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mitāhāra: eating in measured quantity as a Cāturmāsya discipline.