Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

यः स्वाध्यायं चतुर्वेदैर्विष्णोरायतने चरेत् । चतुरो वार्षिकान्मासान्स विद्वान्सर्वदा भवेत्

Transliteration

yaḥ svādhyāyaṃ caturvedairviṣṇorāyatane caret | caturo vārṣikānmāsānsa vidvānsarvadā bhavet

Translation

Wer jedes Jahr vier Monate lang im Heiligtum Viṣṇus das Svādhyāya der vier Veden übt, wird zu jeder Zeit ein Gelehrter sein.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्वाध्यायम्: self-study/recitation
• स्वाध्यायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• चतुर्वेदैः: with the four Vedas
• चतुर्वेदैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + वेद (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; करणम् (means)

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• आयतने: in the shrine/temple
• आयतने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; देशाधिकरण

• चरेत्: should practice/perform (move about)
• चरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चतुरः: four
• चतुरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (मासान्)

• वार्षिकान्: annual/seasonal (year-related)
• वार्षिकान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वार्षिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (मासान्)

• मासान्: months
• मासान्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कालपरिमाण

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विद्वान्: learned
• विद्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: विद् (धातु) + वस् (कृदन्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सः)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Sambandha/Modifier (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇor-āyatana svādhyāya (cāturmāsya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned devotee sits in a Viṣṇu temple corridor during monsoon months, palm-leaf manuscripts beside him, reciting Vedic passages; rain outside, lamps inside, calm concentration.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Four Vedas
• Svādhyāya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Learning becomes spiritually fruitful and steady when pursued as disciplined svādhyāya in a sacred space dedicated to Viṣṇu.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights Viṣṇu’s āyatana (temple) as the sacred setting, without naming a particular pilgrimage location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake svādhyāya/recitation-study of the four Vedas in Viṣṇu’s temple for four months annually (Cāturmāsya).