Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

सद्धर्मः सत्कथा चैव सत्सेवा दर्शनं सताम् । विष्षुपूजा रतिर्दाने चातुर्मास्येषु दुर्लभाः

Transliteration

saddharmaḥ satkathā caiva satsevā darśanaṃ satām | viṣṣupūjā ratirdāne cāturmāsyeṣu durlabhāḥ

Translation

Wahre Dharma, edle heilige Rede, Dienst an den Guten und der Anblick der Heiligen; Verehrung Viṣṇus und Freude am Geben—dies alles ist in den Monaten des Cāturmāsya (beständig geübt) schwer zu finden.

Word by Word

• सत्-धर्मः: true/virtuous dharma
• सत्-धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सद्धर्मः)

• सत्-कथा: holy discourse; good story
• सत्-कथा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारय

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed; also
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• सत्-सेवा: service to the good
• सत्-सेवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवा (प्रातिपदिक; √सेव् (धातु) से)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारय

• दर्शनम्: seeing; audience; दर्शन
• दर्शनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक; √दृश् (धातु) से)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• सताम्: of the good (saints)
• सताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; ‘सत्’ = good/saintly persons

• विष्णु-पूजा: worship of Viṣṇu
• विष्णु-पूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक; √पूज् (धातु) से)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विष्णोः पूजा)

• रतिः: delight; inclination
• रतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रति (प्रातिपदिक; √रम् (धातु) से)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• दाने: in giving; in charity
• दाने: Adhikarana (Location/Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक; √दा (धातु) से)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; locative of sphere

• चातुर्मास्येषु: during the Cāturmāsya months
• चातुर्मास्येषु: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; locative of time

• दुर्लभाः: rare; hard to obtain
• दुर्लभाः: Visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; predicate adjective agreeing with feminine subjects

Speaker

A Purāṇic narrator addressing Devarṣi Nārada (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A monsoon-season temple courtyard: sādhus and devotees gathered for satkathā; some perform seva; a shrine of Viṣṇu receives lamps and tulasī; donors distribute alms—showing the six ‘rare’ virtues together.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Sat (holy persons)
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustaining dharma—satsaṅga, worship, and charity—requires uncommon resolve, especially in the Cāturmāsya period.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No geographic tīrtha is identified; the verse glorifies the sacred season and the culture of satsaṅga and worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice sat-dharma, attend satkathā, serve the virtuous, worship Viṣṇu, and cultivate joy in dāna during Cāturmāsya.