Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

स्वल्पापि विहिता वत्स चातुर्मा स्ये सुखप्रदा । सर्वत्र दृश्यते विष्णुर्व्रतसेवापरैर्नृभिः

Transliteration

svalpāpi vihitā vatsa cāturmā sye sukhapradā | sarvatra dṛśyate viṣṇurvratasevāparairnṛbhiḥ

Translation

Aun una observancia pequeña, oh amado, emprendida en Cāturmāsya, concede dicha. Para los hombres entregados al servicio de los votos, Viṣṇu es contemplado en todas partes.

Word by Word

• स्वल्पा: small
• स्वल्पा: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (विशेषण)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपेक्षा/समुच्चय-अव्यय (even)

• विहिता: enjoined
• विहिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विहित (कृदन्त, वि + √धा धातु; भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (PPP) — ‘enjoined/ordained’

• वत्स: O dear one/child
• वत्स: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चातुर्मास्ये: in Cāturmāsya
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (अधिकरण)

• सुख-प्रदा: bestowing happiness
• सुख-प्रदा: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदा (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √दा धातु, ‘giving’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सुखं प्रददाति’ इति उपपद-तत्पुरुषः

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अव्यय-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• दृश्यते: is seen/appears
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• विष्णुः: Vishnu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• व्रत-सेवा-परैः: by those devoted to serving vows
• व्रत-सेवा-परैः: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवा (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘व्रतसेवायां पराः’ इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषभावः

• नृभिः: by men
• नृभिः: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not stated in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vat्सा (addressed as ‘dear one’ in the verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performing a simple Cāturmāsya vow (lamp, tulasī, japa) and then perceiving Viṣṇu’s presence in all directions—trees, rivers, people—subtle divine forms emerging in the landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cāturmāsya magnifies spiritual effort: even modest discipline yields joy, and steady vrata-service ripens into all-pervading vision of Viṣṇu.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse emphasizes the sacred season and vow-practice; no distinct named tīrtha appears in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking even a small, duly prescribed vow during Cāturmāsya and maintaining vrata-sevā (service to the vow).