Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

ममाष्टमासिकं राज्यं त्रैलोक्येऽपि व्यवस्थितम् । शेषांश्च चतुरो मासान्वर्षेवर्षे समेति सः

Transliteration

mamāṣṭamāsikaṃ rājyaṃ trailokye'pi vyavasthitam | śeṣāṃśca caturo māsānvarṣevarṣe sameti saḥ

Translation

„Meine Herrschaft, obgleich in den drei Welten begründet, währt nur acht Monate. Jahr um Jahr kehrt er wieder für die verbleibenden vier Monate.“

Word by Word

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अष्टमासिकम्: lasting eight months
• अष्टमासिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + मासिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier) राज्यं

• राज्यम्: kingdom, rule
• राज्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्रैलोक्ये: in the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (particle; even/also)

• व्यवस्थितम्: established, fixed
• व्यवस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषण राज्यं

• शेषान्: remaining
• शेषान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण मासान्

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

• चतुरः: four
• चतुरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण मासान्

• मासान्: months
• मासान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वर्षे: in a year
• वर्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वर्षे: year after year
• वर्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); पुनरुक्ति (reduplication)

• समेति: comes together, accrues
• समेति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + इ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• सः: he/that (Vṛka)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Indra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic wheel of time behind Indra: eight bright segments and four dark monsoon segments; Vṛka’s approach is shown as returning with the four-month cycle, while Viṣṇu stands as the steady axis beyond time.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Three worlds (Trailokya)
• Vṛka (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power can be time-bound and cyclic; lasting stability is sought through alignment with divine order (dharma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is mentioned; the verse describes a recurring cosmic-political cycle.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this shloka; it explains the practical consequence Indra faces.