Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

तैलाभ्यंगं च यो जह्याद्घृताभ्यंगं विशेषतः । चतुरो वार्षिकान्मासान्स स्वर्गे भोगभाग्भवेत्

Transliteration

tailābhyaṃgaṃ ca yo jahyādghṛtābhyaṃgaṃ viśeṣataḥ | caturo vārṣikānmāsānsa svarge bhogabhāgbhavet

Translation

Celui qui renonce à l’onction d’huile—et plus encore à l’onction de ghee—durant les quatre mois de l’année (Cāturmāsya) devient participant aux jouissances célestes en Svarga.

Word by Word

• तैलाभ्यङ्गम्: oil-massage
• तैलाभ्यङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैल (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्यङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (तैलेन अभ्यङ्गः)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• जह्यात्: should give up
• जह्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• घृताभ्यङ्गम्: ghee-massage
• घृताभ्यङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्यङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (घृतेन अभ्यङ्गः)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: especially)

• चतुरः: four
• चतुरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• वार्षिकान्: annual/seasonal (of the year)
• वार्षिकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वार्षिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• मासान्: months
• मासान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्वर्गे: in heaven
• स्वर्गे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• भोगभाग्: a sharer/enjoyer of pleasures
• भोगभाग्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भोग (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (भोगस्य भागः/भागी)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Māhātmya-style narration in Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim household during monsoon months: oil and ghee vessels set aside, the devotee in simple dress, offering lamps and flowers, with a calendar marking the four months of vrata.

Characters & Entities

• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Voluntary austerity in bodily comforts during sacred months is portrayed as generating significant merit and refined posthumous reward.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is identified in the verse; it highlights the merit of Cāturmāsya-related austerity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoiding oil massage and especially ghee anointing for the four-month vrata period.