Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

मितान्नाशनकृद्धीरश्चातुर्मास्ये नरो यदि । निर्धूय सकलं पापं वैकुण्ठपदमाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

mitānnāśanakṛddhīraścāturmāsye naro yadi | nirdhūya sakalaṃ pāpaṃ vaikuṇṭhapadamāpnuyāt

Translation

Wenn während des Cāturmāsya ein standhafter Mensch nur in bemessenem Maß isst, schüttelt er alle Sünde gänzlich ab und erlangt die Wohnstatt Vaikuṇṭhas.

Word by Word

• मितान्नाशनकृत्: one who practices measured eating
• मितान्नाशनकृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित-अन्न-आशन-कृत् (प्रातिपदिक; मित + अन्न + आशन + कृत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मितान्नाशनं करोति इति)

• धीरः: steadfast/wise
• धीरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• चातुर्मास्ये: during Cāturmāsya
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Clause marker (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय (conditional particle)

• निर्धूय: having shaken off
• निर्धूय: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-√धू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund)

• सकलम्: entire
• सकलम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वैकुण्ठपदम्: the abode/state of Vaikuṇṭha
• वैकुण्ठपदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकुण्ठ-पद (प्रातिपदिक; वैकुण्ठ + पद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वैकुण्ठस्य पदम्)

• आप्नुयात्: would attain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa māhātmya-style instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined devotee eats a small measured meal after offering it to Viṣṇu; a vision of Vaikuṇṭha (four-armed Viṣṇu, Garuḍa, divine city) appears as the promised fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Vaikuṇṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-restraint in food during Cāturmāsya is portrayed as a powerful purifier that leads toward Viṣṇu’s highest abode.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse emphasizes the vow’s merit within a Tīrthamāhātmya context rather than naming a single tīrtha explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mitāhāra: eating in measured quantity as a Cāturmāsya discipline.