Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । दीपोऽयं विष्णुभवने मन्त्रवद्विहितो नरैः । सदा विशेषफलदश्चातुर्मास्येऽधिकः कथम्

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | dīpo'yaṃ viṣṇubhavane mantravadvihito naraiḥ | sadā viśeṣaphaladaścāturmāsye'dhikaḥ katham

Translation

Nārada sprach: „Diese Lampenopfergabe in der Wohnstatt Viṣṇus, von Menschen mit Mantra und nach rechtem Ritus vollzogen—obwohl sie stets besondere Frucht verleiht—warum wird sie in der Zeit des Cāturmāsya noch fruchtbarer?“

Word by Word

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• dīpaḥ: lamp
• dīpaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

• viṣṇubhavane: in Viṣṇu’s abode/temple
• viṣṇubhavane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu-bhavana (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णु + भवन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Locative singular)

• mantravat: with mantras/ritually
• mantravat: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mantravat (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय (वत्-प्रत्ययान्त; adverb ‘as with mantra/according to mantra’)

• vihitaḥ: is prescribed/arranged
• vihitaḥ: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√dhā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; dīpaḥ इति विशेष्यस्य विधेयः

• naraiḥ: by men
• naraiḥ: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Instrumental plural)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of time)

• viśeṣaphaladaḥ: giving special results
• viśeṣaphaladaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśeṣa-phala-da (प्रातिपदिक; विशेष + फल + द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; dīpaḥ इति विशेषणम्

• cāturmāsye: in Cāturmāsya
• cāturmāsye: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāturmāsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Locative singular)

• adhikaḥ: more (effective)
• adhikaḥ: Karta-pravacaniya (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; dīpaḥ इति विधेय-विशेषणम्

• katham: how?
• katham: Sambandha (Question/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇu-bhavana (contextual)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, holding vīṇā, asks Brahmā why the mantra-performed lamp in Viṣṇu’s abode becomes especially fruitful in Cāturmāsya; background suggests monsoon clouds and temple lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Viṣṇu
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple acts of devotion, when done as enjoined and with mantra, carry lasting merit; sacred seasons can intensify that merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks generally of Viṣṇu’s abode/temple within the Tīrthamāhātmya setting, emphasizing temple worship rather than naming a single tirtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mantra-accompanied lamp offering (dīpadāna/dīpa-pradāna) in a Viṣṇu temple, with special emphasis on Cāturmāsya.