Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

चातुर्मास्यव्रतकरः शूद्रोऽपि हरितां व्रजेत् । शिल्पी च नर्तकश्चैव काष्ठकारः प्रजापतिः

Transliteration

cāturmāsyavratakaraḥ śūdro'pi haritāṃ vrajet | śilpī ca nartakaścaiva kāṣṭhakāraḥ prajāpatiḥ

Translation

Selbst ein Śūdra, der das Cāturmāsya-Gelübde auf sich nimmt, kann den seligen Zustand, das grün-gesegnete Reich, erlangen; und unter den Berufen werden der Handwerker, der Tänzer und der Zimmermann genannt, hier dem Ordnungsgefüge Prajāpatis zugeordnet.

Word by Word

• चातुर्मास्यव्रतकरः: performer of the Cāturmāsya vow
• चातुर्मास्यव्रतकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य-व्रत-कर (प्रातिपदिक; चातुर्मास्य + व्रत + कर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (चातुर्मास्यस्य व्रतस्य कर्ता)

• शूद्रः: a Śūdra
• शूद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Discourse Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; ‘even’ अर्थे

• हरिताम्: to Haritā (a place)
• हरिताम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्म (destination as object)

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √व्रज् (गत्यर्थे)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शिल्पी: artisan
• शिल्पी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिल्पिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• नर्तकः: dancer
• नर्तकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्तक (प्रातिपदिक; √नृत् (नर्तने) + ण्वुल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Discourse Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात

• काष्ठकारः: carpenter/wood-worker
• काष्ठकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठकार (प्रातिपदिक; काष्ठ + कार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (काष्ठस्य कारः)

• प्रजापतिः: Prajāpati (lord of creatures)
• प्रजापतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजापति (प्रातिपदिक; प्रजा + पति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (प्रजानां पतिः)

Speaker

Unspecified (Nāgarakhaṇḍa narrative voice within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Monsoon Cāturmāsya setting: devotees undertake vrata; an artisan crafts, a dancer performs devotional nṛtya, and a carpenter works—each offering their skill to the sacred; lush green imagery suggests ‘haritām’ realm.

Characters & Entities

• Prajāpati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere vrata-observance, especially Cāturmāsya, is praised as spiritually elevating regardless of social category.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a vrata-focused teaching within the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake and maintain the Cāturmāsya (four-month) vow.