Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

यद्यदिष्टतमं किंचि त्सुप्राप्यं चैव यद्भवेत् । नियमस्तस्य कर्तव्यश्चातुर्मास्ये शुभार्थिभिः

Transliteration

yadyadiṣṭatamaṃ kiṃci tsuprāpyaṃ caiva yadbhavet | niyamastasya kartavyaścāturmāsye śubhārthibhiḥ

Translation

Was immer einer am innigsten begehrt und was immer schwer zu erlangen ist: Wer nach heilsamem Glück strebt, soll während des Cāturmāsya die entsprechende Observanz auf sich nehmen, um es zu erreichen.

Word by Word

• yat: whatever
• yat: Karma/Predicate complement (सन्दर्भानुसार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्-सर्वनाम)
• Form: यद्-प्रयोगः (correlative), द्वितीया/प्रथमा (contextual), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) — ‘whatever’

• yat: whatever
• yat: Karma/Predicate complement (सन्दर्भानुसार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्-सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुनरुक्त यद् (repeated relative), द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• iṣṭatamam: most desired
• iṣṭatamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: iṣṭatama (इष्टतम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) — अतिशय (superlative) विशेषण

• kiñcit: something/anything
• kiñcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcid (किम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) — अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• suprāpyam: easily obtainable
• suprāpyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + prāpya (√prāp + यत्/कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (potential/gerundive sense), द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग — ‘सुलभम्’

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• yat: which
• yat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्-सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) — सम्बन्धसूचक

• bhavet: may be/should be
• bhavet: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• niyamaḥ: an observance (rule)
• niyamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyama (नियम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• tasya: of that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular), पुं/नपुंस (Masculine/Neuter)

• kartavyaḥ: must be performed
• kartavyaḥ: Predicate adjective (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु) + tavya (कृत्य प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य (gerundive/obligatory), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) — ‘कर्तव्यः’ (to be done)

• cāturmāsye: during the four-month period
• cāturmāsye: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāturmāsya (चातुर्मास्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) — कालवाचक

• śubhārthibhiḥ: by those seeking auspiciousness
• śubhārthibhiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śubha + arthin (अर्थिन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) — समासः: śubha-arthin (शुभं अर्थयते)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ (best of twice-born) implied audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee at dawn during the rainy-season months, taking a simple vow before a shrine, holding a water-pot and tulasī, with monsoon clouds and temple lamps glowing.

Characters & Entities

• Cāturmāsya
• Niyama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rightly chosen discipline (niyama) during sacred time aligns desire with dharma and makes difficult attainments possible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the ‘sacred time’ of Cāturmāsya itself is treated as spiritually potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Adopt a niyama during Cāturmāsya as a means toward auspicious outcomes and rare attainments.