Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

यस्तमाराधयेत्सम्यक्सदा मासचतुष्टयम् । हिमपातोद्भवे मर्त्यः स शिवाय प्रपद्यते

Transliteration

yastamārādhayetsamyaksadā māsacatuṣṭayam | himapātodbhave martyaḥ sa śivāya prapadyate

Translation

Quiconque L’adore comme il se doit, sans interruption durant quatre mois—en ce lieu saint né de la neige—ce mortel trouve refuge en 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.