Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

चातुर्मास्ये विशेषेण वन्दितापि विमुक्तिदा । नारायणं जलगतं ज्ञात्वा वृक्षगतं तथा

Transliteration

cāturmāsye viśeṣeṇa vanditāpi vimuktidā | nārāyaṇaṃ jalagataṃ jñātvā vṛkṣagataṃ tathā

Translation

Besonders während der Cāturmāsya-Zeit schenkt schon das ehrfürchtige Grüßen ihr Befreiung, im Wissen, dass Nārāyaṇa im Wasser gegenwärtig ist und ebenso im Baum (Tulasī).

Word by Word

• चातुर्मास्ये: in Cāturmāsya (the four-month holy period)
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण (in the period of Cāturmāsya)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Karana (Instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (especially)

• वन्दिता: (she) worshipped
• वन्दिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन्द् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/कर्मणि प्रयोग; ‘वन्दिता’ = worshipped

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• विमुक्तिदा: giver of liberation
• विमुक्तिदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विमुक्तेः दा) = liberation-giver

• नारायणम्: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• जल-गतम्: gone into water; in water
• जल-गतम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (गम् धातु + क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (जले गतः) = gone into water; ‘नारायणम्’ विशेषण

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having known)

• वृक्ष-गतम्: gone to a tree; in a tree
• वृक्ष-गतम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (गम् धातु + क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (वृक्षे गतः) = gone onto/into a tree; (सम्बद्धं ‘नारायणम्’)

• तथा: likewise/so
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb) = likewise/so

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cāturmāsya Tulasī-vandana

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Monsoon season: a devotee salutes Tulasī; beside her, a pot of water glows as Nārāyaṇa’s presence is envisioned in both water and the plant—two luminous loci of the same divinity.

Characters & Entities

• Tulasī
• Nārāyaṇa
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

During sacred seasons like Cāturmāsya, simple acts of reverence become powerful because Viṣṇu’s presence is contemplated in natural sanctifiers like water and Tulasī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse invokes the tīrtha-principle of ‘jala’ (sacred water) broadly, rather than naming a single pilgrimage location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vandana (salutation) to Tulasī, particularly in Cāturmāsya, along with contemplative recognition of Nārāyaṇa’s presence.