Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

चातुर्मास्ये प्रयत्नेन देयं वित्तानुसारतः । सर्वदानानि विप्रेभ्यो ददत्सुप्ते जगद्गुरौ

Transliteration

cāturmāsye prayatnena deyaṃ vittānusārataḥ | sarvadānāni viprebhyo dadatsupte jagadgurau

Translation

Während des Cāturmāsya soll man sich bemühen und nach seinen Mitteln geben. Wenn der Jagadguru (Viṣṇu) im yogischen Schlaf ruht, alle Arten von Gaben den Brāhmaṇas darzubringen—

Word by Word

• चातुर्मास्ये: in the Cāturmāsya period
• चातुर्मास्ये: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (locative singular; time)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (instrumental singular)

• देयम्: to be given / should be given
• देयम्: क्रिया-विशेषण (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृत्) → देय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; विधेय-विशेषणम्; भावे/कर्तरि ‘to be given’ (gerundive)

• वित्तानुसारतः: according to one’s wealth
• वित्तानुसारतः: सम्बन्ध (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वित्त-अनुसार (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्तम् (adverb: ‘according to’)

• सर्वदानानि: all gifts/charities
• सर्वदानानि: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (neuter nom/acc pl)

• विप्रेभ्यः: to the brāhmaṇas
• विप्रेभ्यः: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (dative plural)

• ददत्: (one) giving
• ददत्: कर्ता (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तं वर्तमान-कृदन्तम्; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; ‘giving’ (present active participle)

• सुप्ते: while (he) is asleep
• सुप्ते: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्त (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तम्; ‘when (he) is asleep’ (locative absolute with जगद्गुरौ)

• जगद्गुरौ: when the Jagadguru (Lord) is asleep
• जगद्गुरौ: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत्-गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (locative singular; in/with regard to Jagadguru)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu reclines on Ananta in yoga-nidrā (Jagadguru asleep); in the foreground, pilgrims distribute varied gifts to brāhmaṇas with reverence during monsoon months.

Characters & Entities

• Cāturmāsya
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Jagadguru (Viṣṇu)
• Yoga-nidrā (cosmic sleep)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred seasons demand sincere effort: give within your means, and let charity become a disciplined offering during Viṣṇu’s yoga-nidrā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not specify a location; it emphasizes the holy season (Cāturmāsya) within the broader tīrtha-mahātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform dāna diligently during Cāturmāsya, giving various gifts to Brāhmaṇas according to one’s resources.