Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ज्येष्ठे मासि विशेषेण जलयंत्रार्चनेन च । अत्र वः कीर्तयिष्यामि त्विति हासं पुरातनम्

Transliteration

jyeṣṭhe māsi viśeṣeṇa jalayaṃtrārcanena ca | atra vaḥ kīrtayiṣyāmi tviti hāsaṃ purātanam

Translation

Besonders im Monat Jyeṣṭha und auch durch Verehrung mittels des Wassergeräts (jala-yantra) will ich euch hier eine uralte Legende verkünden.

Word by Word

• ज्येष्ठे: in (the month of) Jyeṣṭha
• ज्येष्ठे: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jyeṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; मास-विशेषणार्थे (as month-name)

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbial instrumental)

• जलयन्त्रार्चनेन: by worship with the water-device (jalayantra)
• जलयन्त्रार्चनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala + yantra + arcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधनार्थे (means)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• वः: to you / for you
• वः: Sampradāna/Adhikārin (To you/for you)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th: Genitive/Dative), बहुवचन; एन्क्लिटिक-रूप (enclitic)

• कीर्तयिष्यामि: I shall narrate/proclaim
• कीर्तयिष्यामि: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kīrt (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• त्विति: thus ("tu" + "iti")
• त्विति: Vākyārtha-sūcaka (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-चिह्नक-अव्यय (quotative particle); पूर्वपद 'तु' इति सन्धिः (tu + iti)

• हासम्: story, tale (lit. laughter)
• हासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पुरातनम्: ancient
• पुरातनम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: purātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcapiṇḍikā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta announces an ancient legend and specifies Jyeṣṭha worship using a jala-yantra: a vessel or mechanism steadily pouring water over the deity/shrine, with devotees gathered in summer heat.

Characters & Entities

• Jyeṣṭha (month)
• jala-yantra (water device)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seasonal/kalā-based observances (like Jyeṣṭha rites) are praised as powerful supports for tīrtha worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing adhyāya’s tīrtha context (Pañcapiṇḍikā-Gaurī), with rites highlighted for Jyeṣṭha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A special Jyeṣṭha-month worship featuring jala-yantra arcana (water-offering/device-based worship).