Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

वर्षमध्ये प्रकुर्वीत तथा सुप्ते जनार्द्दने । पौषे च लुप्तं कृत्वा च श्रौतं स्मार्त्तं करोति यः

Transliteration

varṣamadhye prakurvīta tathā supte janārddane | pauṣe ca luptaṃ kṛtvā ca śrautaṃ smārttaṃ karoti yaḥ

Translation

Wer solche Riten mitten in der Regenzeit vollzieht oder wenn Janārdana (Viṣṇu) „schläft“, und wer im Monat Pauṣa die Observanz als erloschen gelten lässt und dennoch Śrauta- und Smārta-Riten ausführt, handelt wider die rechte Zeit und Vorschrift.

Word by Word

• वर्ष-मध्ये: in the middle of the year
• वर्ष-मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वर्षस्य मध्ये)

• प्रकुर्वीत: should perform
• प्रकुर्वीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) उपसर्ग: प्र
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: 'likewise')

• सुप्ते: when (he) is asleep
• सुप्ते: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्त (कृदन्त, √स्वप् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (locative absolute sense with जनार्द्दने)

• जनार्द्दने: in/when Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्द्दने: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्द्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विष्णोः नाम

• पौषे: in the month of Pauṣa
• पौषे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; मासवाचक

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

• लुप्तम्: lapsed; omitted
• लुप्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लुप्त (कृदन्त, √लुप् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मविशेषण (as object/complement to कृत्वा)

• कृत्वा: having made/done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• श्रौतम्: Śrauta rite
• श्रौतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रौत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म (ritual based on śruti)

• स्मार्त्तम्: Smārta rite
• स्मार्त्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मार्त्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म (ritual based on smṛti)

• करोति: does; performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic passage within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Monsoon clouds over a village; a ritualist attempting to conduct solemn rites while a symbolic Viṣṇu rests on Śeṣa (śayana) in a side vignette; a calendar/panchāṅga motif shows Pauṣa and Cāturmāsya markers; tension between human haste and cosmic rhythm.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• Pauṣa (month)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is sensitive to sacred time: rites done against calendrical rule are portrayed as improper and spiritually risky.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the focus is ritual calendar discipline within the Dharmāraṇya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It cautions against performing certain śrauta/smārta rites during the rainy season, during Viṣṇu’s ‘sleep’, and after declaring an observance lapsed in Pauṣa.