Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

निराश्रयाऽभवत्साध्वी वर्षाकाल उपस्थिते । ध्यायमाना दिवानक्तं देवदेवं जनार्दनम्

Transliteration

nirāśrayā'bhavatsādhvī varṣākāla upasthite | dhyāyamānā divānaktaṃ devadevaṃ janārdanam

Translation

Als die Regenzeit eintrat, blieb die tugendhafte Frau ohne Obdach. Tag und Nacht meditierte sie über Janārdana, den Gott der Götter.

Word by Word

• निराश्रया: without shelter/support
• निराश्रया: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival to ‘साध्वी’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir- (उपसर्ग) + āśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्समाससदृश-उपपद (निर्गत-आश्रया)

• अभवत्: became/was
• अभवत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• साध्वी: the virtuous woman
• साध्वी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhvī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• वर्षाकालः: the rainy season
• वर्षाकालः: Karta (Subject of ‘उपस्थिते’ in locative absolute)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वर्षायाः कालः)

• उपस्थिते: when (it) had arrived
• उपस्थिते: Saptamī-sambandha (Locative absolute/सप्तमीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√sthā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (भूतकर्मणि/परिणाम), सप्तमी एकवचन; ‘उपस्थिते’ = ‘when (it) had arrived’; लोकेटिव्-अब्सोल्यूट (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)

• ध्यायमाना: meditating
• ध्यायमाना: Karta (Agent participle qualifying ‘साध्वी’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhyai (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त (लट्-समकाल), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदी-भावः (ध्यायमाना = ‘meditating’)

• दिवानक्तम्: day and night
• दिवानक्तम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverbial/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: divā (अव्यय) + nakta (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/द्वन्द्ववत् नित्यसमासः; क्रियाविशेषणम्; ‘दिवा च नक्तं च’ = ‘day and night’

• देवदेवम्: the God of gods
• देवदेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (देवानां देवः)

• जनार्दनम्: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janārdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; विष्णोर्नाम

Speaker

Sūta (narrative continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Monsoon scene: dark clouds, heavy rain, the woman seated on bare ground without shelter, eyes closed in meditation; a subtle vision of Janārdana (Vishnu) in the sky/heart-lotus.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity is completed by devotion: endurance of hardship is joined with constant meditation on the Supreme.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights the ascetic’s practice rather than naming a location, within a broader tīrtha-glorifying chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous dhyāna (meditation) on Janārdana day and night, alongside the vow of remaining unsheltered in the rainy season.