Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

चातुर्मास्ये समायाते पालयेत्तत्प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

cāturmāsye samāyāte pālayettatprayatnataḥ

Translation

When Cāturmāsya has arrived, one should observe it with careful effort.

Word by Word

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

• समायाते: when (it) has arrived
• समायाते: Adhikarana (Locative qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-या (धातु) → समायात (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; चातुर्मास्ये इति विशेषण

• पालयेत्: should observe/maintain
• पालयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that (vow/observance)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort; diligently
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not stated in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee making saṅkalpa at dawn as Cāturmāsya begins—hands in añjali, water in palm, facing a small Viṣṇu shrine; a calendar/leaf marking the season; atmosphere of resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time must be met with sacred effort—Cāturmāsya should be actively guarded and practiced, not casually passed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the emphasis is on the timely commencement of Cāturmāsya observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To ‘keep/observe’ (pālayet) the Cāturmāsya discipline with diligence.