Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

यस्तमाराधयेत्सम्यक्सदा मासचतुष्टयम् । हिमपातोद्भवे मर्त्यः स शिवाय प्रपद्यते

Transliteration

yastamārādhayetsamyaksadā māsacatuṣṭayam | himapātodbhave martyaḥ sa śivāya prapadyate

Translation

Whoever worships Him properly, unceasingly for four months—at that snow-born holy place—such a mortal attains refuge in Śiva.

Word by Word

• यः: whoever
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• तम्: him (that Lord)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आराधयेत्: should worship/propitiate
• आराधयेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (properly)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक (always)

• मासचतुष्टयम्: a period of four months
• मासचतुष्टयम्: Karma (Extent/परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक) + चतुष्टय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (मासानां चतुष्टयम् = four months)

• हिमपातोद्भवे: in the place/region arising from snowfall
• हिमपातोद्भवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमपात (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (हिमपातात् उद्भवः)

• मर्त्यः: a mortal
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शिवाय: to Śiva
• शिवाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• प्रपद्यते: attains/takes refuge
• प्रपद्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Himāpātodbhava-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprendra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee maintains daily worship through four months: offering lamps and flowers before Śūlin, marking days on a palm-leaf, seasons subtly changing around the kuṇḍa and shrine; the culmination shows the devotee surrendering at Śiva’s feet.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady, correctly performed devotion over time culminates in Śiva-śaraṇāgati (taking refuge in Śiva).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Himalayan, snow-sourced Kedāra-related tīrtha (himapātodbhava), praised in the Kedāra-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Proper worship for four months (a Cāturmāsya-like period) as a sustained vrata of devotion.